Vows of Blood and Armor
by Shenandoah76209
Summary: Sebastian, Briar, Lorelei and Dragon progress with their respective romances but old enemies return and new problems arise.  Lemons, some consensual dominance, and some violence.  You have been warned.
1. Chapter 1

**Vows of Blood and Honor**

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><p><em>Author's Note: It should be explained that I liked Joseph Feines as Shakespeare and we adopted the idea of Shakespeare in our world only we named him Tredorian. We said he came from the Silver Marches to Cormyr.<em>

* * *

><p>"Peace, I'll stop your mouth." Benedict said with a both tender and wicked smile. His lips pressed to Beatrice's and did indeed silence her for the length of the kiss and several moments after it.<p>

Through the teasing and merriment afterwards Benedict lost his smile only once whilst contemplating Don Jon and then cajoled his liege into a reluctant smile of his own. They were both swept away into the dancing and singing as their friends descended upon them.

The dance led round the stage and merrily off it through the crowded theatre and finally out of the side doors. The laughter faded from the audiences ears though everyone waited in the silent hope that perhaps there was one more line? It was not to be. The curtain fell, bringing everyone back to the cold earth with a thud, and after a moment of stunned joyous awe, the applause erupted.

The curtain rose again, and the cast stood to make their bows. From one of the choice balconied boxes close above the stage the royal family sat as was their custom for the opening night of each play. With them sat Briar and Dragon, both beside their sweethearts clapping enthusiastically.

Under the noise of the applause Briar leant close to Sebastian and whispered. "Dare I voice the opinion that the play resembles to a certain extent, the events that unwound here half a year back?"

Sebastian's deep blue eyes gleamed appreciatively as her movement unbeknownst to her gave him a glimpse of her cleavage. "Asrai I think, had a hand in the writing of it, or at least told a tale to the author and he embroidered it suitably."

Briar smiled down at the rippling golden-maned girl who curtseyed on the stage. "She is Beatrice to the life. Her gift is remarkable."

"And not completely unsuspected." Sebastian murmured. He nodded at his parents who were smiling with pride. As he leant forward he caught a glimpse of a dark haired dark eyed figure standing watchfully in the wings of the stage. As if feeling his glance she looked up and jerked her chin in a casual nod, drifting back into the shadows.

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><p>Briar tucked her arm through Sebastian's and laid her head on his shoulder. "I think she did wonderfully." She murmured. It was rather early in the morning and though she'd bathed and changed her gown after their sparring session she was still inclined to wish for sleep.<p>

Sebastian unwound her arm and slipped his own around her waist, pulling her from her seat on the chaise beside him into his lap. "She did indeed." He agreed cuddling his love closely. Mischief colored his sapphire eyes a brighter hue as his hand nimbly unbound her hair and let it spill down her back in a long fall of ebony.

"Sebastian." Briar laughed into his neck. "Why do you do that?"

"Because." Sebastian smiled and his hand flexed on her waist. Briar pulled her head back and looked up at him. Dark green eyes asked again. The prince smiled again and his other hand rubbed the back of her neck. "I love to see your hair down, it reminds me of the nights you used to sleep in my bed. I'd lie awake, watch you, and I was amazed at how happy I was knowing that you trusted me enough to sleep while I guarded you."

Briar brushed her lips over his jaw and smiled. "That's all?" She teased him. "Nothing else?"

Sebastian's smile widened and he hoped he didn't appear unbearably smug. "Of course my Rose there are also the delightful memories of our private lessons." He murmured. "And seeing you clothed in nothing but your hair."

Briar blushed, the tips of her ears turning pink along with the skin over her cheekbones. Sebastian had taught her a great deal about her body and his, though he left the pace of their lessons up to her. "You liked…" She whispered almost shyly, her blush deepening as she remembered how he'd encouraged her to explore his body.

Sebastian drew her closer, pressing her body down to his, letting her feel how much the memory alone excited him. When he'd pleasured her with his mouth she had gone wild. But she had been intrigued by the idea that she could do the same for him. And she had done so…clumsily at first but so lovingly and eagerly that he'd been completely undone. "Oh yes," he whispered even more softly. "Oh very much love."

Briar lifted trembling fingers to his face. "And you don't mind…" She asked.

"I've told you." Sebastian kissed her gently. "And told you." He brushed his lips over her cheek. "And told you." He trailed a kiss down her neck and reveled in her sigh and shiver. "I will wait forever for you."

"I love you." Briar whispered and lifted her mouth for his kiss.

"Ehrumph…" Someone cleared their throat in the doorway. Sebastian looked around Briar and grinned at Andreas, Lorelei and Dragon. Briar's brother didn't look exactly thrilled at seeing Briar in Sebastian's lap but he didn't say anything about it.

"Private discussion?" Andreas asked with a grin.

"Actually before we digressed we had been talking about the play." Briar said with a faint blush still in her cheeks.

"Seemed a bit familiar didn't it." Dragon observed. "Though I confess to truly enjoying Tredorian's Don Jon." His slow wicked smile spread over his lips as Lorelei entered. "And his Beatrice was truly a wicked wench."

"It was very amusing." Lorelei nodded. "But Benedict was tedious."

"How can you say that?" Andreas protested. "He was hilarious!"

"He was insipidly handsome." Lorelei retorted. "Though he had some funny lines."

Dragon shook his head and extended a hand to his love, pulling her gently down beside him on the couch and keeping her hand clasped within his own. "I quite enjoyed him, though I found a few of his observations on women disturbingly…" He paused and Briar laughed.

"A bit familiar?" She finished and laughed again when Dragon nodded.

"And exactly who do you think Hero was supposed to be?" Lorelei taunted laughingly. "Fainting away and pretending to be dead?"

"I am not so insipid, nor so young and foolish." Briar returned. "Nor is Sebastian as easily swayed by guile as Claudio."

"Though I am as foolish, just not inclined to display it in public." Sebastian pointed out. He explained at their inquiring glances that he had accused Briar of exactly the same thing in private as he had at Court.

"But he realized he had been deceived even as I was protesting my innocence." Briar defended him. "And they had to use magic to do it. He wouldn't have believed it otherwise."

"My sweet constant love." Sebastian kissed her affectionately.

Dragon rolled his eyes. "Thank the gods all that foolishness is over." He said. "And Tredorian's play is not completely true to life." He grinned at Asrai who stood in the door. "And here is our tale bearer now, along with her Lady Faith."

Asrai made a face at him and Faith rolled her eyes. "I don't bear tales." She told him taking a seat by the fireplace. "But rumors were already flying about what happened during the summer. I simplified and clarified a few things and Tredorian did the rest."

"Ah, was part of your simplifying making Briar and I look like foolish children?" Sebastian inquired with a self mocking smile.

"And what was I supposed to say? That you aren't the fool you pretend to be? How would that have gone over?" Asrai retorted sweetly. Beside her, Faith curled up in a deceptively relaxed position, maintaining her watchful silence.

"Touché," Sebastian conceded. "But why make my Rose look so very…" Words failed him and he shrugged.

"Who else would be attracted to someone as mawkish and youthful as Claudio?" Asrai rolled her eyes. "In truth, Tredorian knew of The Black Rose, but he didn't want to complicate everything so much explaining something he didn't really understand himself."

Briar's laugh rippled from her throat. "How The Black Rose could truly love a courtier's courtier?" She asked.

"To be blunt yes." Asrai told her.

That startled a laugh from Sebastian and he shook his head. "I am undone." He said mournfully. A knock at the door had them all looking up and the footman who stood there bowed respectfully before crossing the room to hand a roll of parchment to Sebastian. "Thank you Brian." The second son murmured and unrolled it as the servant retreated a few paces. Reading it Sebastian looked up. "I don't think there will be an immediate reply thank you." He told the footman courteously and the man took this as his cue to exit.

"What is it love?" Briar queried curiously, asking the question that was on the tip of his siblings tongues.

"It seems that an elven gentleman has arrived at the embassy. He gives his name as Vidanalas Dhulouragne. The ambassador wonders if this is the elf we have been searching for since the man claims they sent word of a daughter he left in Cormyr."

In his lap he felt Briar stiffen and shift as if to rise. Gently he set her on her feet and rose. "Would you like to go and see him now?" He asked quietly. "I can arrange to have him brought to the palace if you would rather."

Dragon who had wrapped an arm around Lorelei and ignored all conversation around him for the moment tore his dark gaze from his beloved and looked up at his sister and Sebastian. "You might prefer that Briar. You are uncertain enough. Meet with him on familiar ground."

Briar nodded absently. "Perhaps toward mid-afternoon?" She asked. "Several of your rather frivolous 'allies' in court had been asking for a private concert. I agreed to grant them one after luncheon, but after that I would be free to meet with him."

"And the music will help to calm your nerves as well." Andreas pointed out. "If you will all excuse me, I'll go tell Mother and Dad, that way they won't be surprised by any turn of events." He rose to put his words to action, leaving the room.

Briar looked at Sebastian and then at Dragon and Lorelei in confusion. "What did he mean about your parents being surprised?" She asked.

Asrai grinned and looked at her older sister who sighed. "It is a family legend how our grandfather first met our parents." She said.

Lorelei groaned and buried her head in Dragon's shoulder. "Please…not this again." She muttered, her cheeks flaming red.

Sebastian's wicked grin fueled Briar's curiosity and she tilted her head inquiringly. The prince brought her hand to his lips and held it within his grasp, his fingers stroking her knuckles as he told her. "Grandfather used an elven tapestry portal to enter the inn where our parents secretly married. He emerged in our Father's room and had hidden himself there. When he heard Dad come in with a lady, some wench he assumed Dad was planning to bed he remained hidden. Dad had apparently gotten Mother partially undressed and was raising her skirts with lustful intentions when she realized someone else was watching them. She drew a dagger she'd hidden and demanded whoever it was emerge. Grandfather hadn't realized his very young daughter was romantically involved with the 'human princeling'."

Briar groaned her appreciation of the embarrassment all three parties must have suffered and Asrai laughed continuing the story. "Mother apparently was half naked and holding a dagger in her hand when her father emerged from the shadows. To hear him tell it, she looked just as regal with her bodice undone as she does in full court attire. Dad recovered fairly quickly but Grandfather had gotten a good shock at how adult his daughter actually was. He'd last seen her when she was only a baby."

"And Andreas thinks something similar will happen now?" Briar asked incredulously.

Lorelei rolled her eyes again. "Lets just say that our family as an embarrassing history of getting into situations that can be interpreted in the worst possible light especially when it comes to first impressions." She said dryly, her cheeks a bright pink.

"Really?" Faith drawled. "I can't imagine why." She looked at Asrai and smiled slowly, enjoying the girls sudden blush and making the other four wonder what was causing it.

Briar smiled and nervousness tinted her expression. "I think I had better do some practicing." She told them. "Something tells me this will be a chaotic day."

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><p>A small boy wearing the livery of a royal page entered the room where the elven male stood. "I have a message for Lord Vidanalas Dhulouragne." He said making an effort to pronounce the name correctly.<p>

"I am he." The dark green eyes of the elf regarded the boy.

"His Highness Prince Sebastian Obarskyr requests that if it is at your convenience attend him at the palace this afternoon at the third hour. He can offer information as to your daughter's whereabouts."

The elf considered the notion and then nodded. "You may tell Prince Sebastian that I will be prompt." He said.

The page bobbed a bow and with the repressed energy of most small boys turned and hurried from the room leaving a black haired elf with cold chiseled features regarding the fire burning in the hearth.

The thought was strange to contemplate, that he had a daughter he knew nothing about, not even her mother's name. He might never have known had an enthusiastic and enterprising moon elf junior attaché to the ambassador not thought to inquire of him if he had ever visited Cormyr in his younger days. Though the names were not the same the very naïve elf had felt them like enough to risk offending with the inquiry.

At the same time, another had sent him a message saying that he fit a description in resemblance, religion and profession, as well as having been known to have traveled through Cormyr almost twenty years ago, might he once have been known as Vidan Dhu?

Vidan could dismiss the first inquiry as coincidence, the second, coming as it did from an etrielle whose name was respected among the moon elf followers of the Dark Maiden, could not be easily ignored.

A simplistically gilt edged mirror was hung on the wall of the sitting room. It was a lovely piece of art, delicately etched with a flowering vine around the edge. For the moment the elf disregarded the beauty of the piece and gazed at his reflection. Among the elves, he was considered handsome, though not as much as some. Certainly he had none of the Moonflower clan's coloration, sapphire hair and cornflower eyes. But he was still an elf and no elf could be considered unattractive.

From the mirror a pale skinned male regarded him with a frown. The features were chiseled and elegant, the skin so white the entire visage might have been carved from marble. Until he smiled, or until his face moved with the animation of speech he could almost be considered cruel looking. Black hair contrasted starkly with his skin, and his eyes were nearly as dark, a deep green, darker than forest depths.

He was tall for an elf, by human standards, nearly reaching six feet in height. His form was wiry and graceful, in his profession he could be no less. Elegantly clothed in a dark green tunic and black green hose he could be mistaken for no other than he was. On his right arm, the tattoo of his guild stretched over his skin; the panther, an elegant dangerous great cat. The rapier he fought with was exquisite and hung from his belt as if part of him.

He turned from his reflection, wondering if his child resembled him at all, or if she had only the old name he'd used in wandering to offer as proof of her blood. Vidan caught sight of the flute that he'd laid on the table and smiled in spite of himself. Though no bladesinger could ever truly give up their chosen blade or profession, he had forged another path, traveling one road on top of another. The music of the goddess he followed was so strong and he felt the call of it so intensely that he had sought training from every elven minstrel he knew and a few he approached knowing them only by reputation.

In the end, after many years, he was not only a bladesinger, he was a bard. Vidan smiled again. Many of the minstrels who'd taught him had felt he must be disappointed at learning he had no talent for spellsong, or whatever talent he had was turned another way. For so long he had been a bladesinger, one with blade and magic, he could not channel the weave differently. Vidan had never cared for that, never sought it in fact. For him, there was only joy in music, the only magic in it the beauty it created, and the sweetness of the sound.

Taking up the flute he breathed into it and felt his heart soar with the sound. His face transformed from cold marble to warm flesh as he gave himself over to the joy of the music.

**TBC**


	2. Chapter 2

**Vows of Blood and Honor**

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><p>Sebastian had been told by Briar's mother Merrila that the daughter was the image of the man, but hearing it and seeing a masculine version of Rosaleen Dhu were two different things.<p>

The elf that walked across the parlor was almost eerily graceful and seemed as dangerous as the panther that leapt on his arm. His face was cold and lacked the subtle pale rose undertones and the dimples his daughter possessed. Her face was softer somehow, as though the sculptor of the daughter had been in a gentler mood than when the father had been created.

Sebastian rose and offered a sketch of a bow and a lazily bored grin. "A pleasure Lord Dhulouragne." He greeted the elf. "I am Prince Sebastian Obarskyr." Sebastian had decided that until he knew Briar's father better the mask of the fool courtier would remain firmly in place. How Vidanalas reacted to a courtier such as Sebastian would tell the future spymaster and assassin much of the elf. "Forgive my momentary lapse of courtesy, my mind was elsewhere." Languid arrogance tinged his voice beneath the sincerity.

"I am Vidanalas Dhulouragne." The elf nodded politely. No Tel'Quessir had ever knelt to a princeling such as this one and he would not be the first. "You spoke in your missive of having information regarding the child who claims she is mine?" He regarded the young man coolly, taking in his appearance and manner, while not wishing to give away how intrigued he was at the thought of a daughter.

The prince was a beautiful young man, with some elven blood, through both parents from what Vidan had heard. His face was angular but not sharp and his eyes were a deep sapphire blue. Golden hair sprung from his head in curls that had been cut in an attempt to gain control over what could well prove to be unruliness since the locks appeared to be very thick. A bit shorter than Vidan, though he appeared to be a few inches short of six feet tall, the prince was elegantly and richly garbed though there was nothing about him that was not tasteful. Ostentation did not appear to be his style.

Vidan was interested to note that Sebastian wore a long sword at his belt and that while it appeared to be a very fine blade the scabbard and guard indicated that it was also not simply a dress blade. He also noticed that Sebastian made no comment on Vidan's lack of peace bonds. His curiosity got the better of him and he asked why.

Sebastian's smile was amused at both the question and himself it seemed, and he drawled in his lazy sensual voice. "'Gainst a Bladesinger of the Cormanthor, what effect could peace bonds hope to achieve? Certainly I've never met a Tel'Quessir whose sword was not instantly out of its sheath when danger presented itself, bonds or no."

"You've heard of Bladesingers then?" Vidan was intrigued in spite of the young man's manner. Though the elven nation was not as closed off as it once was, there were few humans who showed any interest in the different paths of the elven warriors.

Sebastian regarded him incredulously. "How could I not?" He asked. "I am related to one by marriage. And if you are her equal then I am right in not insisting on peace bonds."

Vidan frowned for a moment and then his expression cleared. "I had forgotten for a moment the name of the Tel'Quessir whom Lady Shenandoah married." He said with a brief smile. "Lord Craulnober is your grandfather I believe."

Sebastian nodded. "Yes. So I am not precisely unfamiliar with the elven people, nor with the situation in which you find yourself."

"Situation?" Vidan's eyes narrowed. He had little patience with anyone who made such assumptions on small acquaintance.

"Yes." Sebastian drawled the word. "My mother was separated from my grandfather for the first twenty years of her life. Though he, unlike yourself, was aware of the fact that he'd sired a daughter."

"It remains to be seen if I have sired any child." Vidan told him coolly. "I was in your country almost twenty years ago and more, and my name is similar to the one she gives as her fathers, but there is no more proof than that."

Sebastian smiled just as coolly and nodded. "Much remains to be seen." He replied in a bored tone. "If you will accompany me?" He gestured towards the door.

Vidanalas flexed his fingers in impatience, caught himself doing it and concentrated instead on breathing evenly and controlling the temper which he'd been warned again and again was too easily provoked. He nodded and followed the arrogant young man out of the room and down the hall. They entered a small antechamber and Sebastian smiled proudly. "My personal bard is giving a private performance for some friends of mine." He said as if showing off a favorite toy. "You will enjoy this, it is almost over but I think…yes there will be at least one more song." He looked at the elf whose irritation with the courtier was showing a bit. "Sit down, sit down, you'll like it I promise." The prince insisted.

Inwardly Sebastian chuckled and reminded himself not to overdo the act. But it was important to him that Briar's father recognize her talent before he knew her as his daughter.

Vidan reluctantly sat down and shot an annoyed glance at the prince who was standing at the shutters which were slatted open to allow sound through but angled so the occupants of the other room were oblivious to observers. Sebastian could see out but those on the opposite side couldn't see in.

The prince smiled. Briar had donned one of her simplest and yet most becoming gowns to perform for the courtiers. The elegant clinging silk was of such a dark burgundy it was almost black. It was of drow make and when Shen had given the fabric to her young friend she had commented that the color was close to the leaves of an ancient Blood Tree. It had been a parting gift since Elaith and his family spent part of each season in Waterdeep and part of it in Cormyr with Sabine's family.

Briar had been awed by the gift and her near reverent look had made Shen laugh and hug the girl affectionately. Both of them following the same goddess and loving music and swordplay as they did, the two women had much in common, including as Shen had remarked once, loving impossibly wonderful occasionally arrogant men.

As he watched Briar turned towards the shutters slightly and a slight smile curved her lips. Sebastian smothered a chuckle as he realized Briar knew he was there. One lock of black hair fell over her shoulder, escaping from the silver cord net that held it. She slid her fingers along the strings of her harp and the music rang with a sweetness that could not be denied.

Sebastian forgot to watch Vidan as he had intended, as always Briar's music, and knowing when she sang of love she sang of him, entranced him.

"Forever is a broken fairy tale  
>Forever is a promise that will fail<br>Unless our mortality we can shed  
>I'll make you a different vow instead.<p>

I promise to love you now  
>I promise to love you true<br>Cherish every fault and virtue inside you  
>I can't promise you forever, I don't know how<br>But I'll love you now.

I will give my heart from moment to moment  
>Take everyday as a gift gods sent<br>And each day no matter how afraid  
>In my heart hold a love I'll never trade.<p>

I promise to love you now  
>I promise to love you true<br>Cherish every fault and virtue inside you  
>I can't promise you forever, I don't know how<br>But I'll love you now.

In a moment we can find eternity  
>Within our hearts the truth, finally see.<br>I'll make this promise over and over again  
>In joy or sorrow, in sunshine or rain.<p>

I promise to love you now  
>I promise to love you true<br>Cherish every fault and virtue inside you  
>I can't promise you forever, I don't know how<br>But I'll love you now.

I'll love you for now."

The elf took a deep breath, hoping it wasn't a gasp. The beauty of the music left him shaken and awed. That anyone, no matter what race, could create such aching loveliness was amazing. Vidan looked up, expecting to see the prince regarding him with smug pride.

Instead, the elf saw Sebastian standing before the shutters. His eyes had drifted closed and an expression of peace and joy and rapturous love chased over his face before the music died away completely. The prince sighed and opened his eyes turning to find the elf regarding him somberly.

Unashamedly Sebastian wiped a hand over his eyes and smiled. "She is magnificent is she not?" The possessive pride that had made his words seem like a child's earlier was gone, leaving only a deep wonder and pride in the woman's ability. Vidan nodded almost warily. Sebastian continued. "I never thought to find in another the same quality of music I heard all my life. Music is like blood to me."

Vidanalas said slowly. "She is indeed exquisitely gifted." He rose. "Thank you for insisting that I listen. I shall never forget." He frowned slightly in puzzlement. "You are right, she does indeed equal Lady Shenandoah in talent."

Sebastian nodded his agreement. "Yes. Just as Lady Shen and my bard are the equal of my mother." At the elf's look of surprise he nodded again. "When I said I was raised with music I was speaking of my mother. Her mother was a bard. Mother loves music, she passed that love to me, though I've little talent for creating it." His manner, for a moment serious, lightened and he grinned. "Would you like to meet her?"

"Your bard or my daughter, or your mother?" Vidanalas queried dryly, his sardonic expression clearly stating that he believed Sebastian had forgotten his reasons for the appointment.

Sebastian just grinned and made a shushing movement with his hand as the courtiers left the music room. Without saying another word to Vidan he opened the door to the room and called. "Briar, that was wonderful!"

A sweet soft voice replied. "Thank you Sebastian. How much did you hear?" Briar smiled at her love adoringly.

Sebastian beckoned for Vidan to come forward. "We only arrived in time for the last song." He explained as the bard came closer to him, setting her harp on the small table by her chair. Vidan opened the other half of the double doors and then stood still in shocked amazement.

Briar blinked at the elf who stood next to Sebastian and her hand fumbled for her loves who took her slim fingers and tenderly clasped them within his. Nothing could have prepared her for the sight of her father.

The elf had suffered an even greater shock. This girl…this beauty who looked so like and yet unlike him, for she was unique, she was the source of the exquisite music. The fact that he did indeed have a daughter was born home to him in such completeness that he felt it clamoring in his blood. She stood so proudly before him, slender and shining. Vaguely he heard Sebastian say something and blinked.

Sebastian smiled slightly with amusement and repeated his words. "Lord Dhulouragne, I would like you to meet my Lady Bard, The Black Rose." He held Briar's hand as she curtseyed to her father. "Briar, this is Lord Vidanalas Dhulouragne."

Briar smiled with trembling lips, her dimples appeared, warming her regal face. "I am Rosaleen Dhu." She said softly. "I am honored to meet you Lord Dhulouragne." She didn't know exactly what Sebastian was up to, but she trusted in his intentions for the best.

"The honor is mine." The elf said huskily and Briar understood that Sebastian was playing his part and also giving the elf time to collect himself. "I was once called Vidan Dhu." He offered. "It was easier for humans to say than my full name."

"I think you knew my mother." Briar murmured. "Merrila from Serendal." She tilted her head slightly. "You were a friend to my uncle Mory."

"Yes." Vidan nodded, the name sparking his memory and he realized why her sweetness of manner was so familiar. "Your way of speaking is very like her."

"She always told me I had your wicked tongue." The bard returned smartly and a grin widened her pink mouth. "I'm sorry. As you can see, my sense of the ridiculous sometimes gets away from me."

"Please don't be sorry. If, as you say, you are like me, then you should be able to be who you are when you are in my company." Vidan said quietly. "Is your mother… is she well?" He plainly feared to ask whether or not Merrila lived.

"She is very well sir. She and her brothers came to Aeliara six months ago." Briar told him happily.

Vidan smiled. "Please, if you cannot bring yourself to call me Father, then at least use my name, the one your mother called me." He laughed. "Vidanalas is a good name but rather a mouthful when in a hurry."

Briar nodded her assent and looked happily up at Sebastian who smiled affectionately. "You have no more doubts sir?" He inquired lazily, his raised brow a faint taunt of reminder that the elf had not believed Briar to be his child.

"Not since I saw her." He shook his head. "You must understand." He said to Briar apologetically. "I did not see how it could be true. I had no children."

His use of the past tense was not lost on Sebastian whose estimation of the elf rose a notch. "Good." The prince drawled. His other hand rose from his belt to brush a lock of hair back from Briar's face. It was done with such affection and intimacy that it was obvious Sebastian had performed the same act many times before.

"Yes." The elf's tone had cooled slightly and Briar looked at him warily. She found him looking not at her but at Sebastian and she could have sworn there was almost a tone of warning in his voice. "Your personal bard has a father now." Vidan continued. "And I will not fail in my duties to her."

Sebastian met the elf's gaze and thought he hadn't seen green eyes so cold since Briar had disliked him a year ago. "She is more than a bard to me." He said, the arrogance in his tone increasing even as the languid quality to his words vanished.

"She is a lady to be respected and honored." Vidan ground out the words. Unsaid but still echoing as if shouted was his sentiment. 'not a wench to be taken as a concubine.'

Briar lifted her chin and regarded her father coolly. "We must introduce you to Sebastian's parents and the rest of his family. You must also meet my heart brother Dragon." Her dark green eyes glittered as they almost glared into his. "Dragon has been a brother to me almost since leaving Serendal. Sebastian can vouch for his protectiveness."

"Sweet Lord of Night can I." Sebastian muttered under his breath in a not entirely humorous way. Briar's elbow to his ribs turned his mutterings into a cough and he bent slightly and winked up at her when her father couldn't see.

"I would be honored to meet their majesties." Vidan replied in a more quiet tone. "And the man you honor with the name brother, daughter." Wonder colored his voice as he hovered over the last word. He smiled slightly and repeated it looking at her. "Daughter."

She nodded. "Yes, in many ways." She tucked her arm through Sebastian's and slipped the other through Vidan's. "I think they will be in your mother's violet parlor." She said. "Since Andreas said he would inform them of the anticipated course of events." Gently but firmly she led them both from the music room.

* * *

><p>Briar leant against Sebastian in exhaustion. Her father had just taken his leave of them. His manner when he had met Sebastian's family and Dragon had been all that was polite but clearly he was reserving judgment until he decided he knew them better. The elf had considered a moment and then politely refused the Obarskyrs offer of hospitality, explaining gently that he was long of the elven lands and the embassy reminded him of his home. He had inclined his head respectfully and expressed the hope that he had not given offence with his preference.<p>

The king and queen had graciously expressed their wish that his comfort was their only concern, and should he require anything he need only express the desire. Tactfully the king had noted that Lord Dhulouragne would certainly wish to visit his daughter at her home.

Vidanalas had learned in the conversation that followed that Briar kept her own apartments and did not live in the palace. This was something that seemed to please him and he grew even more pleased when he noted Dragon's forbidding aspect and learned the warrior mage had taken rooms next to Briar's.

Vidan had been very gentle in his dealings with Briar, calling her by her proper name and asking politely if he could call upon her the next morning. When he was told she would be sparring at dawn he immediately requested that he be allowed to watch. She had acquiesced after a slight hesitation and shortly afterward her father had excused himself.

"He does not like me." She said forlornly.

"My Rose, he loves you already." Sebastian said in surprise. "How can you doubt that?"

Briar looked up at him and shrugged. "He might love me, in an abstract way, but he does not like me. How can he when he does not know me?" She asked.

"Easily." Sebastian told her. His family around him nodded their agreement.

"Briar, as someone who has been in similar circumstances I can tell you that he does love you." Sabine said in a quiet though firm voice. "You have only to look in his eyes to see the pride and delight he takes in you. It is there and in time you will recognize it."

"But he doesn't like Sebastian." Briar's eyes welled up with tears and she looked at her love again. "And he didn't say a word about my music."

"When Sebastian has his courtier's hat on, I don't like him much." Amon commented. "You can hardly blame Vidanalas for that. Sebastian isn't meant to be likable, not by a father whose instincts to protect his child are roused."

"As for your music." Dragon rasped. "Likely he was too stunned by your talent to say a thing. Sometimes silence is the greatest tribute."

Briar looked at them hopefully. "Do you think so?"

Lorelei gave a delicate shudder of distaste. "He immediately wished to see you sparring which means rising at near dawn and nothing but love inspires that sort of devotion." She pointed out.

Dragon's dark chuckle rumbled from his chest. "Does your love for me pale then, that you do not wish to spar with me?" He teased.

Lorelei looked almost indignant for a moment and then smiled sweetly. "Not at all. You have never invited me to do so. Do you wish me to face you down the length of a blade I will." Dragon eyed her warily. Her words were such tempting bait he looked for a hook. His suspicion was confirmed when she continued. "So long as for every morning I rise at dawn you remain with me at my court duties that night, until they end in the wee hours."

Dragon's laugh was delighted and proud. "I see no need for you to practice the blade when your tongue is as sharp as any sword and defends you so capably. He lifted Lorelei's hand and brushed his lips over her knuckles.

The reply Lorelei would have made died on her lips as Dragon's mouth touched the suddenly unbearably sensitive skin of her fingers.

"Rarely have I seen Lorelei speechless." Sebastian quipped from where he sat holding Briar. "Well done Dragon."

Lorelei flushed and her gaze snapped to her younger brother. "'Tis not so well and good." She retorted. "In neither the deed, or the result." Amber eyes glittered as she coldly curtsied to her parents and regally swept from the room.

Asrai shivered and Faith beside her gave a low laugh, tugging at the younger girls hair playfully.

"She is very like Grandfather at times." Andreas commented.

Amon frowned in concern. "But 'tis unusual for so little a thing to annoy her so greatly." He looked at Dragon with concern. "Is all as it should be between the two of you?"

Dragon's gaze grew darker and he sighed. "As far as my heart is concerned, yes." A rare smile lightened his face. "Your daughter has had her own way often, and dealt with striplings too easily led. She is learning I will not be manipulated or sweet-talked into granting her every wish."

Amon sighed and nodded his understanding, ruefully rolling his eyes as his sons burst into unsympathetic laughter.

Dragon shook his head at them and kissed the top of his sister's head and nodded to Asrai and Faith. He bowed to Sabine and Amon politely and said in a quiet voice. "If you will excuse me. I must see that Lorelei is well. I do not mind her pride being pricked a bit, but I would not have her heart bruised for the world." His rasping tones were nothing if not fervent and he strode purposefully from the room.

**TBC**


	3. Chapter 3

**Vows of Blood and Honor**

* * *

><p>Dragon found Lorelei, predictably enough, in the portrait gallery staring up at the paintings of her family, among them a copy of the late queen Alusair and her sister Tanalastia with Amon as a very young man.<p>

"My lady." He said his wicked voice very gentle. "Are you well?"

Lorelei turned slightly and he saw she was regarding a smaller painting of her grandfather and his daughter Sabine. The artist had clearly known both subjects for their character was read in their faces and stance. "Everyone says I am very like him." She said in a distant tone. "They called him The Serpent you know."

"I know." Dragon spoke more to let her know he was listening than from a need to speak.

"I know that he was thought to be cold and ruthless, some believed him heartless and evil. He is not like that now, not often." She turned completely and looked at Dragon. "Is there some lack in me Dragon?" She asked trying to sound indifferent to his answer and failing for the most part. "There is some fault in me that you do not wish to have me, the way I wish to be with you?"

"Lorelei, how can you ask me that?" Dragon's rough voice chided her, his hands coming to rest on her shoulders. Looking down into her eyes he shook his head at how vulnerable her amber gaze revealed her to be. "I love you. My need to be with you, is akin to my need to sleep. I am only a man. If I do not at least attempt to control my desire for you I would be lost."

"Then you do want me?" Lorelei asked desperately. "You have not…" She looked down. It was hard for her to say that she wanted what she saw between Briar and Sebastian, the way she'd seen them kissing once or twice. "You have not touched me as though you did." Her voice grew lower with each word.

"I cannot." Dragon said simply. Her head jerked up in shock and she stared at him. "I cannot." He repeated. "I do not trust myself to touch you in passion. I do not believe that I could control my need, my reaction to feeling you under my hands." His growling voice grew heavy and dark and he shuddered visibly as if his thoughts were tempting.

"I do not want for you to control it!" Lorelei burst out passionately. "I love you. I need you…so badly it's like a pain within me. I ache constantly. I see Briar and Sebastian and I know she's still a maid but there is something between them…I would never have thought it possible that my brother love someone like that. I'm almost jealous of them, wondering if you will ever want to make me feel that way. Wanting to touch you the way Briar touches Sebastian."

"Your brother is a unique man." Dragon said simply. His dark eyes were hot as he looked at Lorelei, nearly devouring the sight of her. Her words tempted him to forget his resolutions but speaking of her brother made him remember why he was resisting Lorelei's lures so strongly. "I do not know where he gets his patience, or his control. I don't know how he can stand it." He shuddered trying to subdue his body's clamorings and his emotional reaction. "I am not him. I do not…" He paused gathered his thoughts and looked at her.

"I think he and Briar… are…petting." Lorelei whispered. "They satisfy one another somehow, I've… I've asked Jenny about it, and she told me how it is possible…" She wrapped her arms around her waist and shivered. Just thinking about what Jenny had told her in connection with Dragon was enough to give her dizzy spells.

"I know. I do not know how he can bear to…" Dragon shook his head.

"You would not like it?" Lorelei looked at him in shock.

"Would I not…" Dragon regarded her as if she were mad. "Don't be daft, of course I would." He growled. "The thought of you… putting your…" He groaned audibly as his body surged to painful life again and pushed his hands through his dark hair in an effort to calm down. Taking a deep breath he looked at Lorelei. "I'm just going to say it, and I hope to gods I don't frighten you to death by what I'm telling you. But I'm not a gentleman, my love, and that might explain why I am not capable of behaving like Sebastian." Lorelei just blinked at him and waited.

Dragon took another gulp of air and looked at her steadily. "When I finally allow myself to touch you the way I truly wish to, I will not be satisfied with half measures. I will not be able to stop until I possess you completely. I will take you, and make you mine, and give you my seed until we are both panting and exhausted with the pleasure of it. I am constantly amazed at your brother. I know he hasn't had another woman since he met my sister. By my calculation he was completely celibate but for kisses for nearly a year. I can't imagine the amount of control he must have to lie beside my sister and not completely seduce her."

"He…" Lorelei had to clear her throat and start again. "He wants her to give herself willingly, without reservation." She whispered. "I heard him tell her once. He will wait forever if he has to. He said she was a priceless gift and he did not wish to cheapen it with any doubt when it came time for her to bestow it."

Dragon smiled slightly. "He is a better man than I am." He sat down heavily on a bench and tugged her into his lap, holding her against him. "Even this…Lorelei, I want you, need you so badly, that even touching you like this is difficult for me." He kissed her cheek. "It is different for those two, trust was such an issue for them for so long. And Briar, not only distrusted men, like you, but she feared them too, for what Saldan would have done."

He pulled back so he could look at her. "I trust you Lorelei, I hope you realize that. When I told you I loved you, I gave you my heart and trusted that you would never use my love against me, or betray me."

Lorelei sighed and snuggled back into his arms. "I love you Nwyfan." She murmured. "And I trust you. I just don't understand why you do not claim me."

"I have too much respect for you. And your twin is my friend. And your parents have been good to me." He told her gently. "Dishonoring their daughter is no way to repay their kindness."

"Dragon, from all accounts, and there were a lot of people around them, my parents would understand. They anticipated their wedding vows before they were even sure there was going to be a wedding. My mother was Daddy's lover." Lorelei told him. "I know that they would not think you were dishonoring me."

"How difficult was your mother's life after they married and during that time?" Dragon said somberly. "How many spiteful tongues counted the months between the marriage and Morgana's birth? How many rumors flew about her? How many said she was a jade and worse?"

"Do you think I care what people say about me? Or that they will?" Lorelei asked hurt that he would believe she was so dependent on the good opinion of shallow people.

"Yes." Dragon said simply. "I don't think you would mind. But you are their daughter, and they do not wish for you to be the subject of hurtful gossip. It would hurt them, and that would hurt you. And I do not wish anyone to speak of you without honoring you. I cannot love you and not love you in honor. Do not ask it of me."

Lorelei sighed. "I am sorry. I did not understand that you did want me, beyond that one time in the closet you haven't shown me that sort of affection."

"I will make an effort to give you kisses, and soft touching." Dragon told her gently. "You do so well at concealing your need for my affection, I did not realize how much you wanted it. My greatest pleasure of late has been watching your eyes go molten gold when I kiss your hand." His words were affectionately teasing and he startled a tiny giggle out of her. "Come, my etrielle, we must let your family know you are well."

* * *

><p>Vidanalas Dhulouragne watched with eyes that gleamed like black green ice as the Prince Sebastian practically minced his way through the court with Rosaleen on his arm. The elf restrained a sigh. To be fair and truthful the young man did not mince, there was nothing effeminate about him at all. His manner though, was meticulously and thoroughly bored and languid. He seemed to find little pleasure in the Court doings yet not a night passed when he did not attend. He treated everyone at court with a lazy courtesy and kept them amused with barbed humor. But there was nothing about him that spoke of any depth of character.<p>

Vidan could not understand how his daughter, a woman whose beauty of soul was spoken of so eloquently in her music, could delight in the fools company. True he had an appreciation for music and his manner towards Rosaleen was near reverent and adoring. But he seemed like a child with a favorite toy, guarding it jealously and showing it off to all his friends, as if he were in a competition.

Even as the elf watched his daughter smiled and then laughed outright at some quip the prince made. The blue eyed man lifted her hand to his lips and pressed a worshipful kiss to her palm, sighing with overdone ecstasy at her touch. Vidan could barely contain a snort of distaste. It had been a week that he had endured the prince's company in order to be with his daughter. Attending court was an interesting pastime if one was at all curious about human society. He did notice that the princess Lorelei was skillfully playing the part of the diplomat and treated her younger brother with tolerant condescension. The Crown Prince like his parents had the air of one tolerating the Court as if it were something necessary, sometimes amusing, but still annoying.

Vidan smiled slightly as he realized his description of the court also described Sebastian to a nicety. His attention was caught by his daughter as she straightened abruptly from her elaborate curtsey. Following her gaze he saw three human nobles entering the Hall. They were announced by the Herald as Lord and Lady Serendal and Lady Loren. Vidan mentally connected the name and realized that this must be the young man he'd met years ago, when he'd been a guest of the previous lord. Lord Serendal had been a stripling of twenty five when Vidan had last seen him. Age had made its mark and silver touched the brown hair. Lines around his eyes and mouth did not speak of an easy temper.

Vidanalas was more interested in his child's reaction. She had gone very pale and stood close to Prince Sebastian as if he could protect her. Her back was straight as a poker and her gaze dark with some emotion Vidan could not yet read.

The trio from Serendal swept through the court and came to a halt before the King and Queen. A cool nod of greeting from His majesty and a slight tightening of his wife's lips were the royal couple's reaction. The Crown Prince stepped forward and spoke with an authority that seemed to exceed his years. "Your names are known. With what intention do you come to Court and present yourselves to my Royal Parents?"

"Your Royal Highness," Lord Serendal bowed. The lord of Serendal clearly considered himself equal to the task of speaking with the crown prince. His bow to Andreas was the briefest of concessions to etiquette and the expression he wore told that he plainly expected agreement with what he was about to say.

"The honor of my name demands that the bastard half breed known as Rosaleen Dhu be taken, jailed and executed for the murder of my son." His words rang out loudly and caused a ripple of shock and excitement across the sea of courtiers.

Vidan felt himself pale with fury as he saw his daughter's face turn white. Her lips moved but he was too far away to hear her.

"Sweet Lady!" Briar whispered as she paled.

From where he stood behind her Sebastian's hands pressed her shoulders comfortingly and he bent to whisper in her ear. "I swear to you beloved Rose, it will not happen. By my love I swear it." He pulled her back against him, his body warming hers.

Vidan saw the foolish prince whisper to his daughter and that she relaxed minutely. That Sebastian's gaze was angry and protective of the slim girl and anything but bored lessened the elf's poor opinion of him.

Andreas patiently waited for the murmurs to subside before he spoke. He did not even glance at his father for a hint towards an appropriate response. "Denied." The Crown Prince said in a flat cold voice. His arms rose to fold across his chest in a subtle challenge as he regarded the lord.

"You are not on the throne yet—" Serek began and was interrupted.

"But I am." Amon hissed ruthlessly. "Denied," The King said consciously choosing to repeat Andreas' reply.

Lady Serendal had been silent until now but she finally spoke, addressing Sabine. "Your Majesty, please, someone must answer for the death of my oldest child, my only son. Surely as a mother your sympathy is with me and you can see our request is not unreasonable."

Sabine smile was one that never failed to chill whomever it was bestowed upon. Ljosa was no exception. "As a mother, I understand your pain, but if anyone must answer for the death of your son it is yourself and your lord as parents." Her voice was implacable.

"How dare you!" Ljosa nearly shrieked as Loren gasped in shock and pain.

"Was it daring?" Sabine said thoughtfully, her cinnamon honey voice like ice. "I think not terribly so." She tilted her head. "Your son was executed for treason." She told them. "He would have made my oldest child his next victim of sick lust. I hold you to blame for the fear and pain she suffered." The queen looked over the court and met the eyes of Vidanalas and then looked at Briar.

Her voice pitched so only the women and man of Serendal could hear she said. "The two of you are a disgrace to your title and responsibilities. Instead of protecting your niece you turned a blind eye to your son's pursuit of her. You would have allowed him to rape her. A pure and innocent girl would have been defiled by the family who should protect her. And then you would punish her for defending herself."

"How dare you come before us and demand we revoke the justice finally done after two long years?" Amon said quietly. "You are given leave to go." His tone was an obvious dismissal.

"You will not escape this unscathed." Ljosa hissed almost to herself with a look of virulent hatred and followed her husband as he and her daughter turned to leave.

By chance their path to the door passed Briar and Sebastian. Serek and Ljosa swept haughtily past but Loren when she saw Briar hissed out. "You!"

Her hand rose and descended to strike the girl. Vidan began pushing his way through the crowd feeling sick as he watched the larger human girl strike at his fragile looking child.

The ringing crack of a hand meeting flesh never sounded. So quickly he hardly seemed to move Sebastian's hand grasped Loren's wrist, his grip white knuckled on her flesh and bone. "You are not fit to breathe the same air as my lady." He growled out keeping his courtier's phrasing but allowing his volatile anger to finally show. "Do not dare to touch her. Try to harm my lady and there will not be a place in the world you are safe from me."

He flung the girl's hand away as if touching her disgusted him and watched coldly as she nearly lost her balance and then hurried after her parents.

Briar's father watched as the prince tenderly placed a finger under her chin and gazed at her anxiously. "You are well?" He asked, sounding to Vidan ridiculously like a small boy.

Vidan rolled his eyes and said quietly. "Allow me to add my concern to that of his highness." He raised a hesitant hand to touch the coronet of ebony braids and was rewarded with shy smile. "I regret that I was not at your side to protect you as a father wishes to protect his beloved child."

Briar's smile grew tremulous and she tried to blink away the tears that rose in her eyes. "To hear you voice such a declaration Father, I would gladly have let her strike me."

Vidanalas' cold face warmed with the smile that spread his lips. "How could I not declare what has been in me since I first saw you?"

Sebastian grinned down at Briar. "You see?" He gently teased. "Mother and Dragon and Lorelei were right." He struck a mock thoughtful mien. "But then they often are."

Briar laughed at her love's foolish clowning and almost couldn't stop when she saw the look on Vidan's face. Her father wore an expression of barely concealed impatience with the prince. 'If he only knew.' She thought impishly. "Very often." She agreed. "Shall we?"

Sebastian nodded and bowed elaborately, his frivolous attitude complete once again. "I really must introduce you to this fellow I met." He drawled vaguely and Briar smiled at her father as Sebastian quickly swept her off.

Before Vidan could follow Dragon and Lorelei had come up to him and the princess was politely inquiring. "My older sister Morgana spends a great deal of time at King Lamruil's court. She is there now actually. Have you ever met her?"

Courtesy demanded that Vidan reply and he lost sight of where Sebastian was leading his daughter.

**TBC**


	4. Chapter 4

**Vows of Blood and Honor**

* * *

><p>Sebastian kept up his pretense of bored gentility until they reached his room. The moment the door closed he pulled Briar into his arms, his mouth trailing kisses over her upturned face.<p>

He could feel her trembling, from either fear or desire, he couldn't be sure. And he knew it was relief as much as desire that shook his hands. That her uncle had been anywhere near her sent rage pulsing through him.

The prince had never been grateful in his life for his rank until he'd realized that because of it he could protect his love.

Briar knew she was shaking, a delayed reaction to fear and shock and if part of her need for Sebastian was due to that she didn't care. Her hands fumbled and untied his tunic laces and slid then beneath his shirt finally touching his skin. A moan emerged from his throat at her touch and she pressed her mouth to his neck. "Sebastian." She whispered, tasting his skin. "Oh love." She pressed herself hungrily against him. "Do we have time?"

The young man half groaned half laughed. "I will make time Rose." He told her. "I need to feel you in my arms and know you are safe." He made further speech impossible as he fastened his mouth to hers.

Briar could feel her knees buckling as his lips burned over her own. Her hands slid from his chest to twine around his neck pushing her breasts up to rub against his chest. Sebastian groaned in his throat tearing his mouth from hers.

"Enough play." He said huskily and before she could react he had picked her up and swung her like a sack over his shoulder, his hand possessively rubbing her thighs.

Briar shrieked with surprise and laughter as he carried her to his bed and let her fall onto it with a bounce. The giggles that bubbled out of her faded at his hungry gaze. He unlaced his shirt and tunic completely, pulling them off to throw carelessly on a chair. Entranced she watched him unlace his cannons and sit down on the edge of the bed, pulling her towards him.

"My shadow prince, my Sebastian." Briar whispered as she curled up to him. Her hand reached up to stroke his face and she smiled as his eyes darkened hotly. "I love you so much."

"And I you." He murmured as his nimble fingers began to unlace her bodice. "I must remember to visit a jewelers." He said as if to himself parting the silk of her gown and exposing the lacy shift beneath it. "I have this desire to see you with a necklace of black pearls and emeralds dripping down from your neck and nothing else clothing you but your silken hair."

"I don't need jewels." Briar told him with a smile of delight at his erotic thoughts. His fingers drew her gown down to her waist trapping her arms and she gasped as he bent her over his arm and began to run his tongue in circles over her nipples. "Ohhh…" A cry of pleasure left her lips.

"It gives me such pleasure to gift you with baubles that are lovely, even if they can't match you for beauty." Sebastian lifted his mouth from her breasts and regarded her with a smile. "You will allow me to do so? I know in comparison to your gifts of music I can give you nothing of value. But I would love to shower you with jewels to match every gown you own. I cannot purchase your love, nor do I attempt it." Gentle fingers stroked her skin erotically and she gasped. "Say that I may, my love."

"Sebastian…please…" Briar begged helplessly as he teased her with pleasure. "I want to touch you, and you're making it impossible for me to move."

"Hmm…" Sebastian removed her gown and shift, laying them to the side and ran his hands over her body, down the length of her and lingering on her mound with delicate tempting strokes on her nether lips. Her hands began to run over his shoulders and chest. "Love…" His breath hissed through his teeth as her slim fingers drew the length of his cock carefully from within his cannons and stroked him. "If you keep doing that this will be over very quickly." He warned her with a rueful chuckle.

Briar regarded him through her lashes and smiled. "You will let me taste you again?" She asked licking her lips.

Sebastian smiled wickedly and shifted his groin so that he rubbed against the palm of her hand. "Only after you allow me to feast upon you." He told her, enjoying the pink blush that tinted her cheeks. "I love how your hands grip my hair and you wrap your legs around my shoulders."

"Sebastian!" Briar groaned as she turned even pinker and hid her face against his shoulder.

"Do not hide from me Rose." Sebastian drew her back and kissed her passionately. "Can't you see how I adore your passionate nature? How I enjoy your body? How pleased I am that my touch gives you pleasure enough that you forget everything but seeking it?" He began to stroke her thighs, until they relaxed and eased apart for him. "You are my love, my beloved honored lady, and I am humbled that you gift me with your pleasure. Let me consume you, I wish to dream of tasting you tonight."

Briar drew him down to her and wrapped her legs around him. "Just hold me like this for a moment." She whispered. "I love to feel you against me, your body, so different from my own." She kissed his shoulder and chest and he felt her sigh against him. "I feel so safe with you like this. Its strange, when I'm so vulnerable, you are stronger than I, and if you wanted you could just take me, but this is how I feel safest. When you and I are like this together, I feel like you are protecting me."

Sebastian buried his face against her neck and rolled on his back, pulling her so that she was sprawled on top of him. "I am afraid I will crush you sometimes." He told her with a smile against her skin. "I do love to hold you my Rose." He kissed her and looked her solemnly in the eyes. "I will never stop loving you. And I will protect you, I won't ever stop trying to protect you, even though I know you can defend yourself." His gaze grew wicked as he looked down at her breasts and felt her pressed against him. "I am going to make you cry out with pleasure." He whispered erotically. "I'm going to thrust my tongue into you, and consume your juices. I want to suckle on your sweet hot clit until you scream out your climax." He began to lick and nibble the skin under her ear as he described how he was going to pleasure her.

Briar moaned and rubbed body against his. "Sebastian…" She whispered. "Yes."

The prince smiled down at her and rubbed his hand over her back and down her ass and legs. "You will not try to stop me from pleasuring you?" He asked innocently. "You will allow me to do as I wish and not be embarrassed by your response?"

"I'll let you do what you wish with me." She gasped out and was rewarded with the touch of his fingers on her aching mound. "I am yours Sebastian. Please!"

"Yes." Sebastian growled. "Mine. And I'm damned if I'll let anyone try to take you away from me." 'Not even your noble relatives or your father in his dislike of my courtiers guise.' His thoughts continued. He bent and began to make love to her urgently.

* * *

><p>"New necklace Briar?" Dragon inquired casually as he kissed her cheek hello.<p>

Briar flushed when she remembered how she'd been persuaded to let Sebastian give her jewels. The prince had waited until she was desperate for release, and then had asked her again, to not protest his gifts of jewelry. She would have consented to anything for him to continue his wicked caresses.

Later she had protested that it had been unfair of him to manipulate her like that. Sebastian had smiled down at her and shaken his head. "I have my reasons for wishing to give you jewels. But you kept refusing me."

"Yes." She touched the pearls and emeralds that were woven in a silver net around her neck. "Sebastian insisted."

Lorelei nodded. "As well he should." She told the bard. When Briar and Dragon looked at her inquiringly she shrugged. "There has been talk that you are falling out of his favor. Courtiers only understand consequence when it is shown by rich gifts. I know he loves to give presents. He delights in birthing days, and thinking of what his loved ones would like or what would suit them. It is a source of constant frustration to him that you would not let him buy you gifts. He knows he cannot buy affection or respect, but he likes to express his by giving gifts. It is the only way he can do so that the courtiers won't suspect there is something beneath his mask."

Briar groaned. "I'm more of a fool than he pretends to be." She shook her head. "Why didn't he tell me that?"

"Didn't he?" Lorelei looked surprised. "That is not like him."

Dragon looked at Briar. "I suspect that he did, and you still refused, wanting only his love, not riches?"

"I did not hear the entire explanation." Briar sighed. "Will you tell him that I understand?" She looked at Dragon. "He wanted to buy me rubies, godawful bright red things..." Her smile was mischievous. "Tell him if he wanted to spend his gold on me, I liked the dark ruby and diamond set better."

Dragon laughed. "Well when you decide you like jewels you do it with a vengeance." He bowed. "I shall fulfill your request immediately my sister, if you will keep my lady company."

Lorelei tucked her arm through Briar's and the two of them sat down on a chaise. Briar smiled almost shyly. "I hadn't thanked you and Dragon for distracting my father the other night." She said.

Lorelei's mouth twisted ironically. "Well since your brother insists on keeping me chaste, I may as well aid and abet you and Sebastian."

Briar looked at her in humorous shock. "You do not believe that I am pure and chaste?" She inquired with a gleam in her eyes.

"Certainly I do." Lorelei replied dryly. "Sebastian has chased you until you caught him." Her lips twitched and both of them burst out laughing.

Dragon turned from where he stood with Sebastian, interrupting his own sentence at the sound of their amusement. With an ironic gleam in his eye he said to the prince. "My sister wished me to convey a message to you."

Sebastian's hand rose to pinch the bridge of his nose as if weary. "She is still angry about the necklace?" He asked resignedly.

Dragon shook his head. "Actually, once Lorelei explained to her why you wished to do it, and your way of giving gifts to your loved ones, Briar was sorry she had objected so strongly."

Sebastian smiled slightly. "Well at least I won't have a fight on my hands the next time then."

"No…" Dragon drawled out in his macabre voice. "She actually said that if you must spend your gold upon her, that she prefers the deep ruby and diamond set to the 'godawful' bright ruby one." He clapped his hand on the princes shoulder and speculated. "I know for a fact that she adores the gifts you give her, she is overcoming that fear of being seen as a kept woman. If no one objects to your spending habits, shower her with gifts and make her feel pampered." He looked over at Lorelei thoughtfully. "I may just go with you and select a few things myself."

"You, go shopping?" Sebastian regarded him in awe. "Dragon are you feeling well?"

"Your sister is trying very hard to concede to my wishes in certain matters." Dragon said carefully. "I would like to express tangibly the appreciation I have for her efforts, even when she fails at times."

Sebastian grinned. "We'll go tomorrow afternoon. I know for a fact that Lorelei, Asrai and Briar are spending the afternoon with my mother and her ladies. Merrila is coming as well. I have no idea what they're up to and I don't want to know." He shuddered. "Now if you will excuse me, Briar's father has arrived at court and I make it a practice to be at Briars side. He dislikes me," the prince explained at Dragons questioning look, "and I'm trying to encourage that. I'm hoping he'll figure out that his daughter has better taste than to love such a fool so there must be more to me. Being obnoxious in the meantime is extremely enjoyable."

"Hmm… Lorelei commented that you're almost bearable in Briar's presence." Dragon's rare smile lit his face as he accompanied Sebastian back to where their ladies were still sitting and trading affectionate jibes. He bowed over the princess's hand and helped her to rise. As always his mannerisms seemed at times archaic and gentle but extremely graceful. It was as if he knew the proper way to behave very well but seldom felt it worth the effort of bothering.

The two of them drifted off through the crowd one very dark and the other bright. Sebastian watched them go his eyes narrowing thoughtfully. His mother had noticed something about Dragon that he had overlooked in his passion for Briar. Mentally he made a note to speak with her about it.

Just then one of the newly arrived Waterdavian nobles caught his eye. The girls name was Katharine, the Lady Katherine. She had soft brown hair, gently rounded, though not childish features and a diminutive figure. She was exquisitely lovely in a completely human way. There was a playful kittenish quality about her as she stood by her father. She looked adorable.

Sebastian stroked Briar's palm absently as he regarded the girl. She was younger than Lorelei, probably about Briar's age, or his own. Her manner was very sweet, almost innocent, as if butter wouldn't melt in her mouth. However, something in her eyes didn't ring true with her expression. She was scanning the court much as he did at times, as if bored by the entire thing and seeking anything of interest as a distraction.

Then she caught someone's eye and moved to a group of younger courtiers and Sebastian's eyes narrowed. Lady Katherine moved with twitching hips, languid strides and she breathed in a way that pushed her breasts up against her low bodice even more.

With a sense of foreboding Sebastian followed her gaze and stifled a curse. The look in her eyes was one of a predator, or a courtier who had found a challenge. Her gaze had settled on Dragon and a slow smile of satisfaction curved her lips. She also appeared to note Lorelei on Dragon's arm, and that Dragon was Lorelei's suitor. For Sebastian, reading her face was very simple and her intention of conquering Dragon, and spoilt determination were plain. Shaking his head Sebastian sighed. There were interesting times ahead.

"What is it love?" Briar murmured as she saw the look in his eyes.

"You see that brown haired human girl?" Sebastian murmured nodding in Katherine's direction. "What do you think of her my dear?"

Briar searched for and located the woman Sebastian was speaking of and studied her for a moment. Katherine shifted her position with a twitching sway of her hips and a sweetly sultry gleam of her brown eyes. "I do not like her." The bard said finally.

"Why not?" Sebastian asked curiously. He didn't disagree with her Briar noticed but he seemed interested in her own reasons.

"If you were a female love, you would be like her, a predator." Briar said finally still looking at the girl. "But I see none of your kindness and nothing of noble intentions in her eyes as I do yours. Even when you are playing the worst of fools Sebastian, you are not selfish, not much anyway." She teased him a bit as she looked up at him.

Sebastian nodded. "She is a predator all right. And she's after very large prey indeed."

Though the prince didn't realize it Lorelei had also noticed the girls gaze. "She seems to find something of interest over here." The princess said softly to Dragon, tilting her head in Katherine's direction. "That is Lady Katherine, Lord Arundal's daughter, from Waterdeep."

Dragon gave the girl a cursory glance. "She's probably trying to figure out who your modiste is." He told Lorelei. "And how you manage to look like a lady and yet so enticing at the same time."

"She's beautiful." Lorelei said quietly.

Dragon glanced at the girl again and then at Lorelei incredulously. "She's a little plain don't you think?" He rasped.

Lorelei shook her head and shrugged. "She's not looking at me, she's looking at you." She noted.

"Probably hasn't seen such an ugly courtier before." Dragon growled humorously. "If she keeps staring, remind me to glare at her in a little bit. I might be ugly but I'm not that much of a side show freak."

"I hate it when you talk about yourself so badly." Lorelei told him. "You're not ugly." She reached up to pull his head down and kissed his scars defiantly. "You're an unbelievably irresistible man. And I love you."

Dragon's callused fingers slipped over her hair in a feather light caress. "And I love you my siren."

**TBC**


	5. Chapter 5

**Vows of Blood and Honor**

* * *

><p>Amon looked at his wife who was busily braiding her hair. "It seems that Lord Serendal wishes a private audience with us." He said with a grimace.<p>

Sabine turned and smiled sweetly. "So in other words he wishes to be told no in private as well as in public."

Her husband smiled as her movement revealed the unclosed lapels of her sheer robe. Moving to stand behind her, he slid his hands down her shoulders to brush the sides of her breasts and span her waist. "So it seems." He breathed in her ear, stirring the tendrils of gold that had escaped her braid.

"Hmm…" Sabine sighed at his touch and her hand lifted to thread through his hair. "When does he hope for an audience?" Her sultry voice whispered.

"Apparently he is waiting in one of the lower antechambers." Amon's tongue flickered out and trailed down her neck. His hands were busy parting her robe more completely and trailing over her delicate flesh.

"And you believe that we should go immediately down to him?" His wife inquired mischievously.

"I am not thinking of him right now Sabine." Amon told her firmly. "I am thinking it has been an entire night since I had my wicked way with you." His mouth moved from her neck to her shoulder as he slipped the robe off of her. "Surely you will not deny your husband his conjugal rights?" He asked, his fingers slipping between her thighs and caressing her wickedly.

"My king you know I can deny you nothing." Sabine turned into his embrace and her white hand parted the robe he wore. "What is your will?" Her voice was sweetly submissive as she pressed her lips to his chest.

Amon smiled delighting as always in his response to her and in hers to him. "Let me show you, my wife." He told her and his firm hands compelled her to rise, guiding her towards the bed.

* * *

><p>Serek was pacing impatiently two hours later when the footman appeared in the doorway. "Their majesties will see you now." He informed the impatient nobleman. "If you will follow me."<p>

Serek was led to a simple though elegant room decorated in a fashion similar to a morning parlor. The king and queen sat in a pair of elegant bentwood chairs in rich mahogany with a small table holding a tea tray in between them. As he was bowed into the room her majesty was handing the king a cup of tea which he balanced on the palm of his hand in its saucer.

"You requested a private audience with us." The king raised his eyebrows inquiringly.

The nobleman bowed automatically to them both and stood with his hands clasped behind his back. "I did your majesty." He nodded.

"Dare I inquire why? Or can I make the short leap of intellect that bases your visit upon your request of several days ago." Amon took a sip of tea and gave his wife a teasing smile. "Do I only get tea?" He asked her. "Or are you going to share those biscuits you've got under the cover?"

"I'm just trying to keep you trim as you requested." His wife returned his smile and placed several of the honey biscuits on a plate and set it near the table's corner for him.

"You are doing that quite well by ensuring that I exercise." He glanced at her own plate. "But you are getting too thin, eat something."

"But I did eat something Amon." Sabine murmured lowering her eyes and glancing at him from beneath her golden lashes. "I had something creamy and warm first thing this morning. I was assured it was quite good for me."

"And was it?" Amon asked her nonchalantly taking a bite of biscuit.

"Oh very." Sabine smiled and took a sip of tea.

"That's good to know." Her husband looked at her sternly. "But it's not enough to sustain you. Please have something more to eat." Sabine put a few of the biscuits on her plate and muttered about growing fat much to Amon's amusement. With a chuckle he told her. "The only time you have ever gained weight is when you are with child."

"Well Selena help us then." Sabine said dryly and looked at Serek who had remained silently mystified by the entire exchange. "Well?" She asked. "Is his majesty correct? You have come to repeat your demand for the execution of my son's personal bard?"

"I had come to repeat my request for justice." Lord Serendal admitted with a nod. "She killed my son."

Amon set his cup in its saucer with an audible click of the delicate china. "Are you aware of exactly what your son and his conspirators attempted?" He inquired coolly.

"I was informed that he died at the hands of Rosaleen Dhu, in an illegal duel." Lord Serendal replied quietly. "And that her family and yours watched and did nothing to stop it."

"You have been sadly misinformed." Amon told him. "Your son, Saldan, conspired with two others to make the Black Rose appear unfaithful to my son Sebastian. Not satisfied with spreading rumors about her they used magic to attain their ends. Their attempts were discovered and with the help of our head of intelligence a plan was set in motion to draw them out." He glanced at his wife and abruptly leaned over to put several more biscuits on her plate. "If you don't eat I'll make certain that we have kippers for breakfast tomorrow, and you'll eat that." He told her.

Sabine made a face at him but resignedly picked up the roll and sweetly said. "Tyrant," before she took a bite.

Amon rolled his eyes and looked at Serek again. "Your son was exposed as part of the plan to hurt Rosaleen. Such attempts are treasonous, since they affect not only the bard but also my son."

Sabine continued as Amon took a sip of tea. "Your son while he was at court made the additional mistake of fixing his attention on our oldest daughter."

"Looking at the princess is a mistake?" The lord asked incredulously. He subsided as the queens icy purple eyes bore into him.

"Perhaps you were unaware, since you so rarely leave your estate." Sabine said quietly. "Our oldest child is very special. Her reading of a persons character is uncannily accurate." Her voice was tight with distaste. "What she saw in your son, and in his intentions towards her, terrified and sickened her. When she learned who he was she became even more afraid."

"Our daughters fear is not easily roused." Amon told the nobleman. "We would not have executed him for that alone though. But that, combined with his actions against our son and Rosaleen, and the testimony of his conspirators as to his intentions toward the bard and our daughter when he eventually caught her alone set his fate."

"You needn't fear that we took only the word of the others condemned as traitors." Sabine regarded her plate and made a face. "One of the mages in our service made use of spells to compel the truth. Even the woman who was part of the plot admitted she was afraid of him, and not just for herself, but for any woman whom he had set his sights upon. She and the other man knew quite well what Saldan intended to do with our daughter, and with Rose if he knew she was alive."

"I'm sorry as a father to tell you once again, that your request for vengeance is denied." Amon said quietly. "But I cannot condemn an innocent child to death, simply for being strong enough to survive all that your son would have done to her."

"Our son loves her. Saldan's actions were as much against him as they were against Rose." Sabine inserted softly. "Saldan's actions were traitorous threefold. Against our daughter, against our son, and against our future daughter."

"So because the little base born half breed is whoring for your son, mine is murdered for seeking the same favors of her!" Saldan had grown steadily paler with fury as they had spoken and now his bile erupted. Amon and Sabine suddenly had an excellent idea of where Saldan had gotten his twisted nature as they remembered Ljosa's words and now saw this man's blind devotion and unswerving belief that his son was innocent of any crime. "One way or another I will see justice served. Against everyone who had a hand in my son's murder." He stood with fists clenched glaring down at them as if he'd like to strike at them both.

Before he could move, both of them were on their feet and regarding him with identical expressions of disgust for his stupidity. The king's hand had automatically moved to the hilt of his sword while the queen had a hand at one wrist, flexing and ready to palm a dagger. "Remove yourself." Amon told him.

Sabine looked past him to the guards who had been standing silently beside the door within the room. It was a mark of Serek's arrogance that he hadn't even noticed them, since they were dressed as servants. "Be so kind as to remove Lord Serendal please?" She said softly. The men were already standing behind Serek and had been since his first rage filled word.

"Yes your majesty." One of the guards, a blue eyed veteran nodded respectfully. "With great pleasure." The other guard with a smile simply grasped the lord's arms and roughly turned him around.

* * *

><p>Serek paced back and forth before his wife and daughter spewing forth the contents of his interview with their rulers. His wife grew increasingly furious while their daughter merely waited for them to calm down and the planning to begin.<p>

"It is because of the Obarskyrs that Saldan is dead." Loren pointed out when her father ran out of breath. "If it weren't for the fact that their daughter is skittish and their son Briar's patron my brother wouldn't have been killed."

"She is right." Ljosa agreed. "I refuse to allow them to escape the punishment they deserve."

"I agree." Serek hissed coldly. "Everyone who had a hand in Saldan's murder dies. I will make certain we include even their 'head of intelligence'." He sneered the words. "Since they were so careful to credit him with aiding Briar."

"And every Obarskyr dies." Loren said softly. "Every member of their family must pay for my dear brother's death." Her pale eyes gleamed with chilling resolved madness.

* * *

><p>Briar sighed as Sebastian's arm slipped around her waist. "Are you sure you still wish to touch me?" She asked softly. "With my father so constantly near, it will surely drive us both insane."<p>

Sebastian simply pulled her more tightly into his embrace and kissed the top of her head. Vidanalas Dhulouragne had been seemingly determined that his child never be alone with Sebastian. Their stolen moments were brief as he had an uncanny way of discovering them. The elf always courteously phrased his requests to join them but short of barring him from the palace the two young lovers could not escape his company. It had been a frustrating week.

"Will you meet me tonight?" Briar asked softly. "Come to my apartment. If only so I can hold you."

"You need not plead with me beloved." Sebastian whispered, his hair brushing against hers as his lips touched the tip of her ear. "You know I will come to you."

* * *

><p>Lorelei patted her hair and smiled to herself. Her amber eyes glowed with anticipation as she waited and regarded her ensemble with satisfaction.<p>

The knock on her door was brief and to the point as Dragon so often was. When she did not answer, as was his custom, her love entered and called her name from the sitting room.

"I'm in here." Lorelei called out as if she were finalizing her preparations for the evening. "Come in, Dragon." She said with a laugh. "It's perfectly safe."

She could feel more than see or hear him as he came and stood a few feet past the doorway of her bedroom. Turning she looked at him and the smile she'd been ready to offer froze on her lips as she met his eyes.

Molten obsidian pinned her to the spot where she stood, like a doe caught in the too bright lanterns of a hunter. The heat from his gaze washed over her and seemed to burn at all her sensitive pulse points. Lorelei could feel her breasts grow fuller with the heat, swelling in desire and the tips puckering tightly, sending passion twisting through her body.

Dragon stared at her. He knew it was exactly what his manipulative little love wanted but he could not help himself. She was so beautiful, as intoxicating as the fey wine elves could not survive without. He was helpless against her. The heat that throbbed in his veins and seemed to harden every muscle in his body pounded his heart like a heralds drum. He could not take his eyes off of her.

Lorelei stood before him, not fully dressed and playing with her hair as she was so often when she offered the invitation that had fallen from her lips so innocently moments earlier. She instead was clad, or unclad, as his brain shrieked, in a very tiny pair of black lace panties. A silken triangle that allowed silvery gold curls to peek out around the edges of the scalloped fabric and two tiny cords with bows he was aching to untie and slip his hand between that silk and her skin.

As if deciding this would not torment him enough his lady had donned a pair of impossibly high black sandals that showed her toes with their bright painted nails and shaped her legs to near impossible lushness.

Dragon could not help it. He heard a growling groan emerge from his throat and he moved. Quickly, before Lorelei could even blink at the look in his eyes or think to run from the combination of fury and lust, he was upon her. His hands grasped her tiny waist and picked her up, pressing her body against his.

He half carried, half pushed her back until she was bent, backwards over her bed. Dragon groaned as he nearly fell on her in his need, tearing open the laces of his black tunic and feeling how exquisite her nipples felt against his chest. She was panting beneath him, the tight buds pushing up, and his hands slid beneath her back gathering her tighter as his mouth fastened to hers and began to ravage it.

The warrior didn't know if he could stop himself and he wasn't sure he cared at the moment. She was responding to him, desperately opening to him and that was all that mattered. Her mouth was sweet and spicy beneath his. He tasted the skin of her throat and groaned his pleasure at how soft and delicate it was. Hungrily he rubbed his aching groin against her mound and heard a passionate cry of longing from her.

Dragon pulled back and with glittering black eyes regarded her full heaving breasts and bent down to them. His hands slid up to plump them to his lips and he began to suckle her roughly, his tongue and mouth hard and demanding of a response from her.

Lorelei felt as if she'd die from the pleasure of it. She'd longed for this, her lover against her, touching her, sending her body up in flames. Rough gasps of air combined with longing moans escaped her throat and she threaded her hands into his hair, tangling with the dark satin of it.

Then suddenly she was cold and bereft and Dragon was standing over her, his mouth hard with anger and his eyes still glittering with lust. Dazedly she could see he was lacing up his tunic, one of the laces torn in his earlier need. A small voice she barely recognized as her own whispered in pained longing. "Nwyfan, thou wouldst leave me so unsatisfied?"

Dragon growled out in his rasping sepulchre-like voice. "Thou wouldst tempt a starving man with the scent of honey, and then deny him a feast?" His hand trailed tenderly from her throat down her breasts to the now soaking black silk triangle and stroked her once before lifting his fingers to his lips and nose. "Thou wouldst leave me, so unsatisfied, my Lorelei? Siren." He turned and she heard the outer door slam shut.

* * *

><p>Jenny held the princess while she wept and soothingly stroked her hair and back. Of late Lorelei had seemed to need affection more than passion, as if making love merely emphasized to her that she was not allowed to be with her love. The bodyguard gently eased back and asked softly. "Now my pretty princess, tell me what brought on this rainstorm." She kissed Lorelei's forehead.<p>

Slowly Lorelei told her what she had done, and Dragon's reaction to it. "I only wanted him to make love to me." She cried out. "He doesn't see Katherine looking at him, but I do. He won't dishonor me, but what's to stop him from expending his lust on her so that he can control his desires?" She burst into tears all over again at the thought and Jenny sighed.

"My dear Lorelei." She cuddled the girl. "Do you really think Dragon would betray you like that?" She asked. "This is the same man who still doesn't trust noblewomen completely. I notice he's careful to watch and base his opinion on their treatment of folk rather than birth but he's very watchful. He trusts you. Loves you. Not Lady Katherine with her plump features."

"I just… I know I want him. I know we could be discreet and become lovers but he won't even consider it. I hoped that I could seduce him, and maybe then he'd see that we could be like my parents or even Briar and Sebastian." Lorelei looked down at the box she clutched in her hands. "He gave me this a week ago… because I was trying so hard, he said." She sniffled. "It's the first present he's ever given me. I don't want presents. I want him." But she held it closer to her chest like a beloved doll.

"What is it?" Jenny asked curiously.

"Jewels." Lorelei sniffled again. "He wrote me the most beautiful letter, telling me how proud he was of me, how difficult he knew it was for me. He said I'd never know how much he appreciated how I was trying to behave myself and not manipulate him. He wanted to give me something as beautiful as I was but that the necklace would have to do."

"Your Dragon is eloquent when he wishes to be." Jenny smiled and stroked Lorelei's back trying to calm her.

"He did that for me, and he hates shopping…and then I go and be such a bitch to him!" Lorelei wailed. "Why can't I just be what he wants? Why can't I just love him. Why? Why do I want him so badly that I do these things he hates so much?"

"Oh sweetie." Jenny smiled tenderly. "My pretty little princess…it is because you are so passionate. And you've had your wonderful parents giving you an example of how special and grand it can be to be with someone. You want to be like that, but you aren't your mother or father. You are yourself and Dragon is unique. So you can't do things the way your parents did. You must do them your own way."

"Oh Jenny… I'm sorry I'm such a bitch lately." Lorelei sniffled and tried to smile for her lady.

"Don't worry sweetheart. In a way it makes me happy. You trust me enough to be yourself around me instead of the soooo polite princess I first met." Jenny kissed her softly and drew her down to be held and watched the girl drift into sleep.

**TBC**


	6. Chapter 6

**Vows of Blood and Honor**

* * *

><p>Briar was close to screaming with frustration. Her father was beginning to annoy her just a bit. He rarely let her out of his sight, accompanying her everywhere. He was cool and formal with Sebastian still, even though Briar herself grew distant when he spoke so coldly to her love.<p>

At the moment her father was across the room but the moment she and Sebastian rose from the chaise she knew that would change. Vidan would make his graceful way to their sides and stick there like wet parchment to plaster.

"Well I had hoped to find a more private moment to do this but that seems nigh impossible lately." Sebastian murmured with twisted humor and repressed desire. He pulled out a green velvet box and set it into her hands. "I've actually had this for a few weeks but it has been so long since we were alone I have not been able to give it to you."

Briar bit her lip to keep from wailing her agreement. She felt close to tears sometimes with need to be with Sebastian. She was so lonely for him not even her music helped. Even their whispered plan to meet in her room had been thwarted though completely by accident. Sometimes she thought she hadn't felt this badly since she'd first fallen in love with him and he'd been forced to go to Suzail.

"Please open it love." Sebastian whispered. "I hope you like it." Gently his hand stroked her hair. "Do you know how much I miss you?" He asked softly. "This is worse than being away from you. Being near you and knowing you want me and being prevented from loving you…" He kissed her cheek. "Gods!" He swore. "Would you mind if I just had the Purple Dragons throw Vidan in the dungeon for a night?"

Briar looked up at him and sighed and then nearly laughed. "I'm at that point myself." She admitted. Finally she opened the box and saw the beautiful ruby and diamond necklace and earrings she'd admired. "Sebastian…" She breathed. "Thank you love…" Her eyes welled up with tears as she looked at him and smiled. "I thought you'd forgotten."

"Could I forget when my lady finally allows me to gift her with tokens worthy of her beauty?" Sebastian smiled. Looking up he sighed. "Hello Lord Dhulouragne." He drawled, taking a perverse pleasure in acting in the way the elf hated.

"You've managed to bring my child to tears?" Vidan's tone made it more a statement than a question. "Do you think to purchase her affections?"

"Nothing I have done has caused her tears." Sebastian said coldly, his languid tone bored. "Look to your own actions." He rose and regarded the elf from his greater height. "As to buying her love, no one can do that. You insult her by suggesting it, and will apologize."

"You are correct in that at least." Vidan nodded. "I am sorry for my unkind words daughter." He offered more gently. "Why then do you weep?"

Briar looked at him in astonishment and closed the box. Holding it against her heart she rose and stood close to Sebastian. "Tears of joy would not be understood and cannot be explained. All you look for my prince to cause me are tears of sorrow. But you cause these." She paused to take a breath and collect her dignity as her father stared at her.

The glass of wine that she'd held the entire evening untouched was brought to her lips and drank of heavily. As it came closer to him Sebastian wrinkled his nose and too late took the cup from her lips. "Briar." He whispered urgently, his tone frantic. At any moment he expected to see her fall. Instead the ring she had worn on her right hand for as long as he'd known her gleamed in the light and she regarded him with a curious gaze.

"What is it?" She asked softly while her father looked at the prince in astonishment.

"Beloved, where did you get that ring?" Sebastian asked, hardly breathing in his relief.

"I told you of the adventure Dragon and I had, after we first met. This ring was among the trove that held the magic harp. Dragon insisted I have it since it matched my eyes." Briar told him slowly.

Sebastian sat down heavily and pulled her into his lap uncaring of Vidan's outraged look. "You've had that wine the whole evening haven't you, and not touched it?" He observed. "You've been carrying a cup of poisoned wine."

Briar took a shocked breath. "But the ring isn't magical. Dragon checked when we first found it."

"If I may?" Vidan extended his hand and Briar tried to remove the ring but could not. "No, dear, just let me see your hand." Her father told her. Studying it upon her finger he frowned. "This is very old daughter." He said thoughtfully. "The carvings are faint, doubtless meant to be so, but this is ring is one of the rare guards against every type of poison."

"Remind me to give Dragon the run of every library he would like." Sebastian said absently. "And anything else he wants."

"He only wants your sister." Briar told him with a smile. "And he has her."

Sebastian didn't seem to hear. "She cannot be killed by poison?" He asked Vidan.

"This is a Tel'Quessir ring, made by priests of the Seldarine." Vidanalas told him quietly, not wishing to be overheard. "Most think them legends. But this appears to have been carved from a raw emerald, sculpted and shaped with runes and enchanted to acclimate itself to a wearer, usually for a long length of time. Once attuned to its wearer it cannot be removed and neutralizes any poison its wearer contacts."

"I will not have this begin again." Sebastian said firmly. "Briar, stay with your father, and I will inform my parents that we have another traitor on our hands. Or the same one."

Briar sighed and watched him go.

* * *

><p>Lorelei nearly shrieked. This was the third time since her apology to Dragon that she'd come to meet him and found him alone with Katherine. He had forgiven her, or said he did at any rate, and she had no reason to doubt that since Dragons displeasure was easily seen. So he was not trying to torment her. But this was bound to make her crazy.<p>

The princess stepped into the room where Dragon sat studying a tome and Katherine was leaning over him, her breasts rubbing against his shoulder. Indifferently if politely he was answering her questions. Lorelei almost smiled when she recognized that tone of voice. Dragon wasn't even really hearing the other girl, part of his mind seemed to recognize and carry on conversations while the other half was immersed in study. He wouldn't even remember speaking with Katherine.

"Good afternoon Princess." Katherine curtseyed with a sweet smile.

"Good afternoon Lady Katherine." Lorelei nodded and smiled as well. Two could play the game of killing with kindness, and everyone seemed to love Katherine, thinking her sweet and kind. For Lorelei to be rude would simply make her seem like a bitch and Katherine the injured party. And Katherine knew it damn well.

There was the added fact that Katherine was a noble from the neighboring nation and as a daughter of the king Lorelei was bound by duty to extend the girl every courtesy. That didn't mean that she had to offer up Dragon as a sacrifice though.

"Lorelei!" Dragon exclaimed, disengaging his attention from his studies. "Katherine when did you get here?" He asked with genuine puzzlement. He rose to greet his love and nearly knocked the brown haired girl over. "I'm sorry, I didn't know you were standing so closely." He apologized.

Stepping around her the warrior mage took Lorelei's hand and lifted it to his lips. "My lady." He brushed his mouth over her knuckles and smiled into her eyes. "I see you wear my gift. It cannot compare to your eyes." The necklace of lace-like gold and beads of tigers eye as well as amber, held a topaz tear drop and seemed to glow like Lorelei's eyes.

Lorelei smiled and kissed his cheek. "I love it Dragon. Mother suggested I wear white to call attention to your necklace. I can't wait to let her see it."

"Let us go and show her then." Dragon rasped out with a gleam in his eyes. Turning politely he asked Katherine. "Lady Katherine, would you care to join us?"

Lorelei seethed but pasted a smile on her lips and tried to remember that Dragon was ever polite, especially to court ladies he didn't really like.

* * *

><p>Lorelei sighed. It had been several weeks since she and Dragon had quarreled due to her seduction attempt. While he had forgiven her and took every opportunity to spend time with her, Lorelei's duties as a princess and part time diplomat part time hostess for the court took much of her day. Likewise Dragon's studies of magic and his daily regimen of swordwork took a great deal of his time.<p>

It seemed though that every time she turned around Katherine was smiling sweetly at Dragon and inviting herself along on every private time they had together.

The princess fixed a serene smile on her face. She had to be polite to the girl. The Western Heart was Cormyr's ally and though many of its rulers were related to her it was still inappropriate to insult its nobility. But Katherine did not seem to like Lorelei at all and made barbed comments at every opportunity regarding Lorelei's less than sterling breeding, taste in clothing or insipid coloring. She never made these comments before Dragon, and appeared all that was sweet and kind when in anyone else's company. Everyone at court seemed to adore her.

Lorelei paused a moment before she entered the morning room and took a deep breath, fixing her smile firmly in place and walked through the door. A gasp of shock escaped her lips as she saw Dragon and Katherine together. The brown haired girls arms were wrapped around Dragon's neck and his hands were gripping her shoulders.

"Oh…Your Highness." The girl breathed her eyes glowing. "Forgive us our indiscretion, I didn't know you were to join us this morning." She curtsied prettily and smiled with a hint of triumph in her gaze at the pale princess.

"Certainly." Lorelei smiled coldly at them both. "Though I would suggest if you want Dragon's kisses that you find a less traveled room." She nodded to Dragon coolly and turned on her heel exiting the room without pause.

* * *

><p>Briar looked up at her father distractedly. She had gone into a room with Dragon that morning and shut the door practically in her father's face. At the time she hadn't cared that it was rude Dragon had needed to speak with her privately. Her concern for him lingered now even though he'd decided on a course of action and her part was long done.<p>

"Rosaleen you seem overtaken by melancholy these past few weeks." Vidan said carefully. "Will you tell me what is bothering you?" He bowed his head. "I know that I am not as familiar as your Dragon, nor as close as your mother, but I would like to help."

Briar looked at him in amazement. "You want to know why I am unhappy?" She phrased his question more precisely. When Vidanalas nodded she threw her hands up in disbelief. "And here I thought you were doing it on purpose."

"Doing what?" Her father asked his voice calm.

"Preventing me from being alone with Sebastian." Briar said in frustration.

"Well, yes I have been." Vidan admitted. "It is for your own good." He told her infuriatingly.

"How can it be?" She asked. "I'm miserable." She stood and walked a few paces away and then turned and looked at the elf. "Can't you see it? I'm in love with him! I need time with him."

"I can't allow that." Vidan said quietly. "He's not good enough for you."

"You can't…" Briar blinked. "What in the world are you talking about?"

"I won't let you be alone with him." Her father told her.

"I beg your pardon?" The bard's voice was barely soft enough to contain her fury. "You waltz into my life after more than nineteen years without even being aware of my existence previously and you imagine you have the right to tell me what you will and will not allow me to do!"

"As your father yes." Vidan replied reasonably, trying to hold onto his own temper.

"And if I refuse to obey?" Briar asked sweetly.

"You will not go against me in this." Vidan told her. "He is a fool and a fop and not near good enough for you. The only virtue he possesses is his love and appreciation of your music. You deserve better."

Briar laughed and shook her head. "You cannot compel me." She told him furiously. "You don't even know me." She turned her back and looked at the harp that had been her grandmothers, the elven first love of the wild man who'd sired so many children.

"Perhaps I do not know you as well as those who have raised you." Vidan said angrily. "But it was not by my choice that I was ignorant of your existence. And not knowing you well does not preclude my love for you. I will not see you throw yourself away on a man who treats you like a toy and a frail lady alternately. He flings jewels and gowns at you as if you were a concubine, and handles your body as if you belonged to him. He acts without respect for you."

Briar just shook her head and picked up her cloak. "Good bye." She said simply. "I will return soon." She walked out the door and shut it with a click behind her.

Walking down the stairs she met Lorelei who was with Jenny on her way up. "Lorelei." Briar kissed her cheek. "Avoid my father if you see him, he's in a bad mood." Wrapping her cloak more tightly around her Briar left her building and hurried towards the palace.

* * *

><p>Lorelei knocked on Dragon's door and wondered if she could possibly feel any sicker than she did now. She'd trusted Dragon and then caught him kissing Katherine. It had been all she could do to keep from screaming at the both of them, but she'd managed. Now he wanted to talk to her when she still wasn't sure what she wanted to do more, scream at him or break down weeping.<p>

Jenny took the younger girls hand and patted it, murmuring. "Sweet gods, your fingers are like ice." The door opened then and Jenny looked up at Dragon and pushed a reluctant Lorelei in the door. "Talk to her." She said firmly. "I'll wait in your study." She walked into the other room.

The warrior was clearly worried, careful to not touch the princess as he gestured courteously to a chair. "You did not speak to me at court last eve." He rasped quietly. "You did not meet me for breakfast this morning. You are angry."

Lorelei looked at him and realized he was right. She was furious. "That is something of an understatement." She hissed coldly. "I am furious."

"Because Katherine kissed me?" Dragon clarified.

"Because you didn't stop her from kissing you!" Lorelei snapped rising from her chair to glare up at him. "You won't let me express a hint of passion for you but she can fasten her mouth to hers like she's drinking air from you!"

"She fell against me, wrapped her arms around my neck 'til I was near choking and then kissed me until I couldn't breathe!" Dragon retorted. "She's worse than an octopus!"

"Well I didn't see you trying very hard to get loose!" Lorelei hissed. "You probably were enjoying it too much!"

* * *

><p>Raden frowned and rubbed his forehead. His skull was paining him. The ache intensified and as his fingers touched his skin again it seemed to explode. He saw two men, dressed in black as all his students did, walking quietly along the halls of the keep. An aura of magic clung to them, smelling of teleportation, disguise and stealth. He Knew…they were a danger. His mind seemed to scream and pulse with it and he took a ragged breath. Death…they wanted his death…his…his king's…Sabine and her children…<p>

The spymaster blinked and the pain was gone, and so was the vision. He scowled darkly and regarded his hands. They were no longer trembling. He had no way of knowing how soon the events he had seen would come to pass. But he knew somehow that like a line of dominos his attack would only be the first and that at least two would die. But which two?

Raden looked up as footsteps sounded outside of his office. Rising he had a dagger palmed as the door opened and two men entered wheeling in a tray. By all appearance they looked like his two servants, Jared and Calderone delivering Raden's midday meal. Yet, one glance at them and the silverware on the table gave Raden all the alarm he needed. One of the sliver forks near the plate containing the meal contained a smudge, barely discernible, but something that screamed out to Raden's eyes. Jared and Calderone were very well trained and would never serve him a meal with anything less than perfect silverware. Thus, even as the men's hands moved to bring out crossbows aimed at him, Raden already knew he had two imposters before him and began his own attack throwing daggers at both men.

One bolt from their crossbows hit Raden in the arm and the other in his thigh. Yet, his aim, even so hindered was better and they both went down with his daggers in their throats. Fumbling in a drawer he pulled out a vial and gulped the contents. The poison he had felt creeping through his blood was dissolved under the potion's magical qualities and he sat down heavily at his desk.

Ringing a bell he looked down at the two men who still resembled his serving men. Raden knew they were not Jared and Calderone and in time he would learn what manner of magical disguise, these attackers used. As footsteps sounded near the door, Raden hoped his true servants had simply been waylaid or distracted. It would be the very devil for him to train new ones.

**TBC**


	7. Chapter 7

**Vows of Blood and Honor**

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><p>Andreas laughed as Darew nearly got past his guard. He knew he wasn't concentrating on swordplay as much as he could but being out in the open air put him in an exhilarated mood. Though a bit chilly and damp outdoors before the gates of the palace he definitely preferred it to the exercise room.<p>

Darew hadn't really liked the idea of being so exposed but Andreas had convinced him that it would do them both good. Affectionately he smiled. In his years as Andreas' watcher Darew had learned that it rarely did any good to argue with the Crown Prince, especially when it came to the young man's preference to avoid the confinement of castle walls.

The watcher narrowed his eyes as he looked over the prince's shoulder. A dark figure watched them from the top of the water arena. Even as Darew blinked suspiciously the man raised changed positions. Quickly the watcher moved, circling the prince and as Andreas, confused by his watcher's distracted manner turned to face him, Darew was thrown into the prince's arms.

Andreas cried out in pain and shock as fire lanced his shoulder. He looked down at his own wound seeing blood pump out of his body in response to the wound. As he studied his wound, he felt Darew leaning heavily against him. Looking away from his own body, Andreas raised his head to look at Darew as his hands reached out to support the watcher.

A strangled cry pierced the air. Andreas did not realize it but it was his own voice that cried out in anguish now as he saw that Darew had been shot close to his heart. The arrow had been so fast and sharp it had gone through the watcher and into Andreas' shoulder. It had been meant to kill him, the prince realized. Instead, his friend, his protector was now dying.

"No…" Andreas cried out angrily as Darew's full weight brought both men down to the ground. Andreas knew he was watching his friend dying. He wept as he held Darew in his arms. "No," Andreas uttered seeing the bolt obscenely sticking out of his friend's body. "Not for me …" The young Prince said faintly.

"Andreas." Darew whispered as he looked up at his Prince. He carefully framed his words, visibly struggling against the pain and the darkness rising in his eyes. "My king," Darew uttered reaching out to touch Andreas face gently with his own blood covered hand. Darew's head and hand dropped then as if with that gentle reminder that he had been doing his job for his future king, Darew could now let go.

Andreas did not need to see his friend's body go still. The lessening of the weight upon his own arms told him Darew was gone. His friend was dead and Andreas was elsewhere.

Even now, as shouts sounded out in the air around him and guards rushed from the palace, Andreas mind raced back to the past, to a place by the sea, and a girl he once knew.

_Her gentle hand reached out to him as he looked at her with tear strained eyes. Touching his cheek, she told him, "My Andreas . . ._

Andreas didn't see the guards surrounding him, protecting him from any further attempts. The prince didn't hear a Purple Dragon trying to separate the dead watcher and the Prince, "Sir, you have to let him go. You have to let him go sir."

"_You have to let go …. You have to let go and go on with your life."_

Andreas kept repeating that scene with that girl from long ago in his own mind ignoring all around him. Initial attempts by the guards to get Darew's body free failed. The young Prince simply clung tightly to his friend oblivious to the present. He hardly noticed the blood that still pulsed from his shoulder until it darkened his eyes and pulled him into a painful sleep. Only then could the guards pull Darew's body free, away from his charge, his Prince.

* * *

><p>Briar hurried towards the palace, scarcely noticing the beauty of the city around her as she did normally. Her quick nervous pace saved her life for when she heard the ring of steel she pulled her blades from their sheaths and turned to fight automatically.<p>

To her shock she didn't face a pair of street thieves, though such were rare in Aeliara, there being a dearth of handy alleys. Two large, agile men were holding wicked curved daggers and seemed to have every intention of killing her. Being no fool and feeling she had nothing to prove Briar opened her mouth with every intention of using her bards lungs to screech bloody murder. Literally.

She was saved doing harm to her larynx and her ears by a friendly voice. "Well Lady Rose, we meet again." The nondescript man in grey was the same fellow who had rescued her from an attacker more than a year ago.

"Your timing is impeccable." Briar quipped as he put his back to her and they began to fight off her attackers. "Have you thought of going onstage?"

Her sense of humor or possibly her skill with her rapier earned an approving grin from her new companion. "I'm too plain for that my lady." The man returned. "And my work this past year or so has been very rewarding and enjoyable." He grunted as his sword struck home and pierced the heart of the villain he fought.

"Well whatever it is, if you begin to dislike it, come to me, and I'll gladly see if I can enlist the aid of friends to find you something more agreeable." Briar's tone and breathing didn't even pause as she slashed the tip of her blade across her attackers throat.

"Now that is doubtful my lady." Her new friend grinned and bowed. "I am Kelso."

"Rosaleen Dhu." The bard curtsied. "I thought you said the last time we met that you worked in the palace kitchens." She queried.

"A small falsehood my lady." Kelso tugged his cap back on his thinning hair. "I'm one of Sebastian's watchers. He requested that I be assigned to you. I'm right glad of it my lady. To guard Sebastian's beloved is a great honor."

Briar smiled and shook her head. She was no longer surprised at the precautions Sebastian took over her and couldn't be angry even at the potential invasion of privacy. Sebastian seemed to have a small army of men and women who worked in his own little division of Raden's network. They appeared to specialize in Court problems. "This is the second attempt on my life. We had better tell Sebastian of it."

Kelso nodded. "He was at the library for the morning, but he should be on his way home now. We'll be able to reach him right quick, my lady."

"Good." Briar grinned. "Kelso?"

"Yes my lady?" The man was deferential even while his eyes never stopped scanning for trouble through the mist.

"My friends call me Briar."

* * *

><p>In the study, Jenny kept slowly walking about the room, studying the surroundings, keeping her senses sharp as she had been taught years before by her instructors. Her head snapped to the window as outside, she heard something faint. A shadow across one of the curtains confirmed her fears and Jenny already had a weapon in hand as she moved back towards the room containing Lorelei and Dragon.<p>

In the other room, Dragon was regarding Lorelei with a combination of anger and amusement. "You're actually jealous of that little twit?" He asked incredulously.

Lorelei didn't get a chance as several events happened within the matter of seconds.

The door to the study flew open, Jenny racing through shouted, "Get down."

Years of companionship had taught Lorelei to obey Jenny. She was already moving to obey, Dragon as well when the glass shattered behind them.

Two men came barreling through the broken aperture. Dragon pushed Lorelei to the ground shielding her from the shards.

Jenny closed to engage the two men having been free of the blast of glass from the attacker's entrance. In another moment Dragon had his sword out and was moving up to help the watcher.

Dragon gave a shout of rage as he thrust his sword into the belly of the man before him. Smoothly pulling it free the warrior turned and saw Jenny had already finished off the man before her and was moving towards Lorelei who still huddled on the floor.

Even as Dragon felt satisfaction form on his face from having defended his Princess, the expression quickly changed to horror. The door to the room swung open revealing a man leveling a crossbow at Lorelei. Dragon cried out "No," but knew even as he moved, he would not reach his Princess in time to keep the bolt from her flesh.

Yet, Jenny could. Seeing the man in the doorway, Jenny dove, her body moving downward to stand between her Princess and the bolt which hurtled through the air to strike the watcher in the back. Landing on the floor with a thump, the only sound Jenny made at having been wounded was to let out a soft hiss of air.

Dragon advanced with grim purpose seeking to obliterate the man in the doorway. He never got the chance.

With calm calculation, as the man reloaded his weapon, Lorelei reached into her clothing to pull free a weapon. As the man brought his crossbow up again to aim at Dragon or Lorelei, his eyes widened and he felt his knees go weak. Raising a hand, he became aware of a dagger in his throat.

Lorelei had flicked her hand and embedded the weapon in her attacker's throat. She saw the man with the crossbow collapse, obviously dead. Seeing a shadow over her, Lorelei looked up at Dragon. Her expression was one of satisfied relief that he was unharmed. Dragon was very well aware that his own face revealed similar sentiments.

"Jenny." Lorelei murmured and moved to kneel at the lady's side. "You'll be all right sweetheart." She stroked her friends soft cheek realizing how pale she looked.

Jenny coughed, foamy blood coming out as she croaked out, "Lorelei, I'm pretty certain I'm dying." Jenny pointed out with a gasp and tried to smile as she always did. Her sweet voice, always so smooth and matter of fact, was rough with pain, and sounded as if she could barely breath. "You be good, stop tormenting your Dragon." She choked out. "He loves you."

Lorelei smiled tearfully. "I'll be good. She promised taking the girls hand.

"Not too good." Jenny joked. "I love you the way you are." She looked up at Dragon and took a painful breath. The man looked over Jenny's back to where the bolt had landed and the expression on his face told Lorelei and Jenny that the latter's diagnosis was correct. "If we get a healer now-" Dragon said not wanting to give up hope.

"Dragon," Jenny said, her eyes shifting to him. "I.. can't . .." She looked away not wanting Lorelei to hear this but knowing that it had to be said so they would understand. "I can't feel my legs," The watcher told the couple.

Dragon bit his lip as Lorelei cried out. The watcher's words told Dragon that the bolt had struck Jenny's spine. Even if a healer could get here in time, the girl would be paralyzed for the rest of her life. And that was not a life Dragon could envision Jenny wanting to live. As matters stood by the time a healer arrived, Jenny would be dead.

The mage became aware of Jenny's hand over his own. "Take care of her." She whispered, her voice losing strength. "Get her out of here. Safely…away…" She closed her eyes and Lorelei thought she had died but she opened them and looked up at the princess. "What are you waiting for?" She reprimanded the princess, with a gasp. "Go!" Her voice had no strength to shout but her green eyes glared feverishly up at the princess.

Lorelei looked up at Dragon and uttered a tiny choked cry, the tears streaming down her cheeks unchecked now. "I don't want to leave her alone." She cried, "Not at least until..."

Dragon and Jenny exchanged looks. Jenny communicated something silently to the man hoping he understood, that he realized what she intended to do and that she did not want Lorelei to see the act. With a grim nod, Dragon gave her a signal that he did. His hand came down onto Lorelei's arm as he rose, forcing Lorelei to rise as well. When the princess resisted he lifted her struggling and forced her to look him in the eye. "She wants you safe!" He rasped out intensely. "You can't stay with her. It will take her too long to die! We have to get away in case there are other attackers nearby!"

The blunt truth of his words reached Lorelei as pleading never would have and she stopped struggling and nodded. She went to bend down for one final kiss but Jenny glared back at her. "Go!"

The shock of two people she loved being so adamant spurned Lorelei forward, Dragon by her side, not allowing her to turn and look back.

Dragon did not have to look back to know what was happening. Even as Lorelei and Dragon exited the room, Jenny' s hand reached for a dagger nearby. Bringing it to her chest, Jenny plunged it into chest, choosing a quick rush to embrace death rather than fading slowly and painfully as her lungs filled with blood.

* * *

><p>Sebastian strode cheerfully through the mist towards the bridge. He'd indulged himself with a morning of studying various elven legends. Through the efforts of his father and maternal grandfather the library of Aeliara had quite a collection. He had found nothing regarding the ring Briar wore but he had run across something similar in a pendant.<p>

The prince was happily occupied with mentally choosing another birthday gift for Briar when something stiffened the fine hair at the nape of his neck. He'd learned long ago to trust the excellent instincts his mother had bequeathed him and thus was more than prepared for the two dark figures who appeared out of the slowly clearing mist.

The daggers he'd silently palmed left his hands and reappeared embedded in the Adams-apples of the two men. As they fell Sebastian bent and retrieved his daggers, cleaning them on their clothing and then casually examining the bodies. A frown creased his brow and he rose thoughtfully. They had no personal belongings whatsoever. Nothing that could identify them once they were dead or caught.

The prince strode purposefully down the street, taking the most direct route to Briar's apartments. He hadn't gotten more than a few yards when he saw two familiar figures hurrying towards him. Briar and Kelso. Something was very, very wrong, Sebastian realized.

* * *

><p>Sebastian cast a grim look around the room. His entire family was accounted for except Asrai. He had hurried Briar and Kelso into the palace and turned to tell a troop of guards to fetch Dragon and Lorelei when the two of them had come running across the bridge. From the blood on his sisters gown and Jenny's absence Sebastian hadn't needed an explanation.<p>

His mother and father were still with his older brother. Andreas had lost a great deal of blood and priests from all three of the city's great temples were with him. In his parents place Sebastian had demonstrated a talent for issuing orders that had surprised even Dragon. The second prince and spare heir, as second sons were humorously called, would make a tolerable king if his brother ever died without an heir.

As if hearing Dragon's thoughts Sebastian snapped at him. "My brother is going to be just fine. Do you hear me? And it will be he who will be wearing the crown not I!" Pushing a hand through his already rumpled unruly curls he sighed realizing how unsuitable his response had been. "I'm sorry Dragon. I'm a bit on edge."

He turned as a footman entered. "The Purple Dragons have gone to retrieve Briar's family?" He asked. The man nodded but murmured something that made Sebastian's face darken ominously. "What do you mean you have lost my baby sister?" He growled out.

Lorelei looked up from where she had her face buried in Dragon's shoulder. "What?" She whispered. "Asrai is missing?" Her face was terrible to see, grieving and wrathful both.

"No!" The servant protested. "Lithfelt said he lost track of her this morning, but he knew she had rehearsal at the Rose one hour after noon." He explained hoping to put them at ease. "I've dispatched a messenger to tell Lady Faith to bring Her Highness home, immediately, with all discretion." The footman looked at Sebastian. "I hope I did right your Highness." He said anxiously. "If His Majesties majordomo could lose her, I thought anyone tracking her movements would also. Sending a troop of guards to fetch the princess would draw attention and I didn't want to place her in danger. Lady Faith is devoted to Princess Asrai, surely we can count on her?" The man was clearly worried he'd made the wrong decision but he'd been so certain at the time.

"Thank you." Sebastian breathed a heartfelt sigh of relief. "You are right. If anyone can bring Asrai back safely and discretely its Faith."

**TBC**


	8. Chapter 8

**Vows of Blood and Honor**

* * *

><p><em>Author's Note: It might not have been noticed in my other fics but my husband and I are huge Joss Whedon fans. My husband has a major crush on Eliza Dushku and when I brought up the idea of Watchers for the royal family he insisted we incorporate the character of Faith, slightly adapted for the world of the Forgotten Realms.<em>

* * *

><p>Faith opened the sealed square of parchment the page had pressed into her hand. She noted that the boy was dressed as if he'd come from the palace kitchens instead of its marble halls and that he'd entered through the stage door. "Thanks." She told him. "You better get on back now."<p>

The boy nodded solemnly and whispered. "Bad things happening." He jerked his head in a polite nod and hurried out of the theatre.

The parchment made a crackle that had the director glaring at her but Faith ignored him. Asrai gave her an anguished look, the girl was so eager to please these fools, but Faith winked and looked back down at the message. A low oath left the watcher's lips and she shoved the parchment into her belt.

The square heels of her boots echoed loudly on the stage as she strode across it purposefully. "Asrai, time to go." She told the princess firmly.

"What?" Asrai blinked. "But we're not even halfway done Faith." She protested.

Faith smiled. "Sorry babe, boss's orders." Tossing the princess her cloak Faith pulled her own jacket on. "We're leaving."

"Now see here!" The director snapped. "I will not have my rehearsal interrupted on the whim of a guttersnipe. She stays and finishes the act or she doesn't come back!"

"Oh really?" Faith inquired in her low careless voice. "How effective a director will you be with your fingers missing?" She'd pulled her long curved knife at some point and was regarding it and his fingers speculatively.

"Are you threatening me?" The shaken director huffed.

"Nope," Faith said in a distracted manner. "Just asking a question."

"You wouldn't dare!" The balding man didn't seem quite as convinced as he'd would have liked to sound.

"No?" Faith drawled wickedly. "If I didn't kill you, I'm sure my boss would be happy to. Her family wants her home. I tend to take those orders seriously since they're, you know, royal commands." She tilted her head and smiled threateningly. "Still want to object?"

"Uh…" The director was thinking rapidly. "We can…uh, work around her part for the rest of the afternoon. But we really need her back tomorrow." He finished weakly.

"She'll let you know when is good for her." Faith informed him sheathing the knife she'd pulled.

Asrai was wrapping her cloak around her and had to spit a lock of her long hair out of her mouth as Faith pulled the hood over her golden head. "Faith, why in the world…" she began to ask.

"Sebastian wants you home now." Faith said shortly. "He wouldn't interrupt your rehearsal unless it was important and that's all I need to know. I don't question the boss unless I know something he doesn't."

Asrai subsided immediately. "I hope everyone is all right."

"Well, let's hope that we're all right too." Faith muttered. "The message emphasized discreet, as in, don't let the princess be seen. If he felt the need to tell me that, you're in a lot of danger babe. So close that pretty mouth of yours and let's not let anyone see all that glorious curly hair you got, right?"

"Mmhm." Asrai nodded and pushed her hair firmly under her hood.

Faith looked at her and then looked around at where they were. Quickly she pushed the girl into a shop and looked at the clerk behind the counter. "Get her a wig to match my hair, and me a blond one." Looking at Asrai again the brown haired girl grinned. "Get undressed babe, we're going to change clothes."

"What?" Asrai asked, but automatically began to unfasten her cloak.

"No offense babe, but I've seen you fight in a skirt. You need more practice. We're almost the same size." Faith was rapidly shedding her leather breeches and boots along with her thick shirt. "But thanks to a well rounded education, I fight real good in a skirt."

Asrai sighed and unlaced her bodice and gown. "All right." She handed them to Faith and shook her head as the girl began donning them. "Faith you'll want the shift too. Trust me, you'll freeze otherwise." She pulled it off and shivered, grabbing Faith's shirt and pulling it on. The clerk walked back in as Faith was pulling the shift over her head.

"What are you looking at?" Faith snapped, standing guard in front of Asrai even though the princess was more clothed than she was.

"Your, uhmm… hair…" The clerk stammered turning red. "I brought you pins to put it up under the wigs?" He offered the pins and the wigs he held.

"Thanks." Faith nodded to the counter. "Put 'em there." She looked at Asrai. "How do you stand this?" She pulled the shift until it hung evenly and then threw the gown over her head, lacing it up rapidly.

"How do you wear these?" Asrai held her breath as she pulled Faith's breeches up over her hips. "Sweet Lord and Lady Faith, I can hardly breathe in them."

"Loosen the side laces silly." Faith told her as she fastened the bodice around her waist. She slipped her feet into Asrai's low boots and thanked Nicodemus that at least their feet were the same size and they both liked comfortable footwear.

Asrai did as Faith suggested and pulled on the knee high boots Faith wore, lacing up the fronts and shaking her head over them. "All right. Let me get my hair up." She groaned. The thick curls never wanted to obey her but somehow she got them tightly braided and bound around her head.

The clerk was helping Faith since the watcher's thick dark hair was just as unruly in its waves as Asrai's was in its curls. The blond wig went over the dark braids and was fixed firmly to Faith's head with more pins. "There my lady." The clerk grinned his satisfaction

Faith grinned back. This fellow was pretty game once he got over his surprise. "Now you got a wig for her too?" She jerked her head at Asrai and he nodded.

"A little longer than your hair, but the same color." He explained and helped to tug it over Asrai's head. "Curls like her highness's and dark brown like yours is hard to find. Thank Sune for mages who like money." He chuckled and Asrai giggled at the thought of mages creating wigs of hair to match her curls because they were fashionable at the moment.

He held up a mirror as Asrai began pulling on Faith's jacket and the two girls regarded themselves carefully. Faith sighed. "Well, we'll never pass close up, but until we get to the palace we'll do."

"I have the very thing." The clerk said eagerly. He darted to the back of his shop and came out with a hatbox. "The hood of your cloak will help conceal your face." He nodded at Faith. "If she wears this hat." He pulled out a black leather, traveling hat, just worn enough that it looked like Faith might have possessed it. "She can pull it lower, since it's begun to rain a bit, it will look like you're both shielding from the elements." He set the hat on Asrai's head and adjusted it appropriately. "It also changes how your face looks, blocks off your forehead."

Faith nodded approvingly. "Real good." She said.

"To help Princess Asrai, anything." The clerk smiled. At Asrai's look and Faith's dark gaze he shrugged. "I was lucky enough to see the play at the Rose a few weeks ago. I can't wait for the next one. When will it be ready?" He asked eagerly. "I love the theatre!"

"In a month or so." Asrai laughed enjoying his enthusiasm. "And I'll make sure you have box seats, for your help today, as well as send payment for the wigs and hat."

The clerk beamed as Faith buttoned up the cloak and began pushing Asrai out the door. "Thank you!"

* * *

><p>"What took you so long!" Sebastian snapped as the two girls walked into the sitting room. Then he simply blinked at them and uttered the astonished phrase. "What in the world?" The rest of the room's occupants were uttering similar sentiments.<p>

"Hey, I got her here alive didn't I?" Faith asked of no one in particular. The watcher shrugged off her cloak. "What's the big emergency boss?" She looked at the couch where Briar, Sebastian, Lorelei and Dragon were all sitting.

"Good grief." Amon had come up behind his daughter. Looking at the two of them who were industriously removing their wigs and unbraiding their hair he shook his head. "Asrai, now that it's been proved beyond a doubt that you can wear Faith's clothes, please don't do so ever again."

"Why Daddy? I was finally getting used to them." Asrai rolled her eyes.

Amon looked at Faith still in the soft purple gown and his sapphire blue eyes gleamed wickedly. "Lets just say that now it's been proven my baby girl has the body of a many other ladies in or around this family, I don't need to have it flaunted before me. Certain ideas don't settle comfortably with a father."

"I think I'm flattered." Faith drawled. "But that doesn't mean I don't want my pants back Asrai." She grinned up at Amon and Sabine from her sprawled position in a wing chair. "Why did you have me drag her out of rehearsals? She was doing great."

Amon coughed and subtly motioned to Faith that she was giving the King and Queen a view that answered Amon's pondering on whether or not the young lady wore any undergarments.

Faith licked her lips almost not wanting to move. But, a look at the Queen told her now wasn't the time for any teasing. Shifting to not show Amon and Sabine her loins any further, Faith made a motion with her hands indicating that her question still hadn't been answered.

Briar's assembled family blinked at how she addressed the king and queen but the Obarskyrs seemed both pleased and accustomed to it. Sabine waited until her husband took a seat and then let him draw her into his lap. Faith continued to look at the queen and immediately tensed sensing what was to come.

"Jenny and Darew are dead." Amon said quietly. "Around the arrow that went through Darew's heart and into Andreas' shoulder was a message. It read very plainly. 'Your first son dies first. You die last.' And while I am grateful that thus far the threat has fallen short of its mark, I am taking this very seriously. Andreas lost a great deal of blood. He will live but he is weak. For now only family and the healers we know are allowed to see him. No one comes in or out of the palace unless they are known to us."

"Court tonight?" Sebastian inquired carelessly and earned an annoyed look from Vidanalas.

"We'll attempt to make everything appear as normal as possible." Sabine agreed. "I know it will be difficult for you Lorelei, but if you would assume your duties tonight it would help immensely with that impression."

Lorelei smiled weakly. "At least I will be doing something that can be construed as useful." She poked her brother. "Unlike you."

"In your ear chicken legs." Sebastian slouched down into the couch his arm around Briar's waist. His retort lacked both heat and conviction.

"As to that." Amon said quietly. "Dragon, if you would act as escort for my daughter I would be grateful." The warrior mage nodded soberly and squeezed the princess' hand. "Briar, if you could give us a performance tonight, I have every confidence in your ability to distract the court from any tension among the royal family."

"I will be honored to try sir." Briar smiled and looked at her love who smiled encouragingly.

"Sebastian, I expect you'll be back in time but I want you to accompany your mother to see Raden." Amon told his son. "I'm sure he knows what's happening and is working on it already. The man's instincts are uncanny. I know he'd send us a report but I'd rather you went to see him."

Sebastian nodded and looked at the misty light out of the windows. "When would you like us to leave sir?"

"As soon as you can." Amon told them. "I know you're tired love," he said to his wife. "But we need to know what Raden has discovered."

Sabine nodded and slid from his lap. "The sooner we leave the sooner we return." She said quietly and Sebastian nodded.

Turning to his love he smiled. "You know where you are staying." He murmured. "In the flat chest in the bottom of my second wardrobe is a box. It was to be one of the gifts for your birthday. Wear it at court tonight love, with the rest of what you'll find there. We'll have someone fetch the rest of your belongings."

Briar nodded and he took her hand. "Be safe love." She whispered softly. His lips brushed over her knuckles and he rose. She stood up with him and crossed the room to stand with the queen by the door.

Sebastian smiled down at his sister and bent to give her a gentle hug. "I'm glad you are safe sister." He murmured. More quietly in her ear he whispered. "Please put Vidanalas in a room in a wing far from my own? I'll owe you a great favor."

Lorelei almost laughed at that and smiled. "No charge." She told him.

Sebastian stroked her hair affectionately and strode out of the room pausing to press a kiss to Asrai's cheek and tug at Faith's hair. "Very good work." He praised her quietly and his lips twitched at the pleased pink that tinged her cheeks.

He offered his arm to Briar and his mother and escorted them out the door. Once out of her father's sight Briar turned and smiled at them. "I don't wish to delay you both anymore." She said. "But I knew my father would find someway to stop me kissing Sebastian goodbye."

Sabine nodded her understanding and said quietly. "Sebastian, you know where to meet me."

The prince nodded and regarded Briar with a hot light in his eyes as his mother walked on ahead of them. His hands reached for and slid around her waist, drawing her into his embrace. "My prince of shadows." Briar whispered softly. "Please, have a care for your life. It is also mine."

Sebastian nodded soberly. "I will return to you my Rose." He murmured. "How could I not?" He bent and fused his mouth to hers in a sweet hot kiss that was over too soon. "Beloved, dare I hope my wait is nearing its end?"

Briar blushed and dropped her eyes shyly. "I think that we are close, it is just very difficult for me, to overcome what I had resolved all my life." She looked up at him. "I always told myself I would not give myself in anything less than marriage. That is changing, because I trust you more than anyone else in the world. It is just a slow change."

Sebastian looked at first shocked and then delighted. "I am honored you would even consider giving yourself to me then. Such beliefs are very safe feeling I think. And even harder because at least with such vows you have a commitment of safety and respectability." He began to walk towards the traveling room where his mother was waiting, keeping Briar's hand in his. She walked along with him with a nod of agreement.

"I didn't expect such from you at first." She told him shyly. "And then later, I had begun to hope you might want me forever. Then of late it hasn't seemed to matter so very much that I have that promise. I would be a gift to you Sebastian, not an exchange." She said softly. "Though that hope has never died."

"It should not." Sebastian told her firmly. "And if you wish to wait until then, if you are more comfortable having vows between us before you bestow on me that gift then we will wait until then. If you made me such promises, and I you, what we will share is not lessened my Rose." He looked through the door of the room with the teleportation ring and saw his mother pacing. "It is a decision that is yours entirely. I will not press you. But know that to be with you forever has been my wish since I first set eyes on you, albeit a subconscious desire. That will not change even if you decide to share my bed tonight, rather than at a later time."

Briar looked up at him in sweet surprise and did not have time to reply as he drew her to him again and kissed her passionately. Briar stood swaying and had to clutch at the doorframe when he let her go and hurried into the room to disappear along with his mother.

* * *

><p>When Sebastian entered Raden's office he did not show by so much as a blink of surprise his shocked reaction to the sight of his wounded mentor. Sabine simply looked and turned right around again.<p>

Sebastian regarded Raden and raised an eyebrow. The older man was sitting at his desk, left arm wrapped in a bloody bandage around his bicep while his left thigh had a similar accessory.

Raden rolled his eyes. "Your mother has doubtless gone to summon one of the Night priests." He said to the prince. "Which I will no doubt appreciate more when I have been healed." He gestured towards the chair opposite him. "Have a seat."

"So they struck at you too?" Sebastian observed, more to have something to say than to obtain information.

"Your time to take my place may come sooner than you think." Raden shook his head. "I'm getting old and slow."

"Excuses, excuses." Sabine said crisply from the doorway. "Undoubtedly he could handle the position, but I'd rather see it wait a while longer. I find him useful at court still."

The priest behind her gave the Spymaster a long suffering look and began to work his healing prayers. He left without waiting for payment and merely smiled at Sabine's thanks.

Soon after he left there was a knock at the door and all three individuals tensed as Raden invited whomever it was to enter. A young man with the pale coloring of a clerk peered around the door and then came into the room. He handed Raden a scroll and retreated without a word.

Raden relaxed slightly, as much as he ever could and opened the message. "Well, we haven't had one of these in a long time." He said with interest. He looked up at Sabine and Sebastian. "It appears you are the focus of a Blood Feud. The Serendal family is determined to exterminate the Obarskyr line, and incidentally anyone who happened to have a hand in their son's death. Thus Briar and her family, Dragon, and apparently myself are also targets."

Sabine sighed. "What is wrong with the nobility of Cormyr?" She wondered aloud. "Don't they have any sense of self-preservation?"

Sebastian chuckled at that. "You sound like Grandfather." He noted. "And no, they don't. And precious little common sense as well it seems."

Raden nodded his agreement. "I'm already on my guard here. And I have no doubt you will take appropriate precautions as well." He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I'll start tracking down our overzealous family members. There are only three of them, but apparently they have a large amount of gold at their disposal. Money makes it easy to disappear and easier to hire faceless, nameless killers."

"You may also wish to double check the circumstances under which some of your agents died recently." Sebastian said in a sober voice. "From what Kelso and Briar told me, as well as reports from others, these men seemed to have had some military training. If you had someone less savory come to a convenient end of late, it might explain where they learned their skills."

Raden nodded. "Something to follow up on certainly." He agreed.

Sabine rose. "We'd best return to Aeliara." She said quietly. "Times like this I feel best having my family close by me where I may keep an eye on all of them."

"You'll have us all closer than you'll like." Sebastian noted grimly as he came to his feet. "I intend to convince Father that none of our family or Briar's leaves the palace. I dislike having even the courtiers come and go, but I know most of them and they aren't serious enough for a blood feud."

Raden nodded his agreement as he rose and bowed to his queen. "I'll send you word when I have something." He said as they left.

* * *

><p>When Sabine and her son returned it was to find everyone almost exactly as they had left them. Merrila had been surrounded by her brothers, and now Vidanalas Dhulouragne had joined them. The elf should have looked out of place among the tall burly men but somehow the friendship they'd forged had not been broken and he seemed quite welcome in the affectionate group.<p>

Briar stood alone by the window staring out at the now steadily pouring rain. Now and then her father looked at her in concern but Merrila always kept him from interrupting the girl's thoughts.

Lorelei and Dragon were sitting very closely on the sofa, they did not speak, perhaps feeling the weight of Jenny's death too closely for conversation. Every now and then Lorelei would look up at her love and Dragon would kiss the top of her head and rub her shoulder comfortingly.

Asrai and Faith were both sitting near Amon's feet as he sprawled like a lazy teen in his armchair. Now and then one of his hands would slip down to affectionately slide over Asrai's golden curls or Faith's wavy dark locks. The king looked weary but his eyes darted beneath partially lowered lids at any small sound.

The door flew open at their entrance and simultaneously every hand in the room save the kings held a blade. Sabine simply smiled and serenely moved towards her husband but Sebastian leaned nonchalantly against the doorjamb and remarked in languidly interested tones. "My but all of you are alert!" His bored gaze swept the range of weapons and he shook his head. "Too bad of you though, drawing weapons on Mother like that."

"Sebastian!" Briar too, had drawn her rapier when the door had opened but she let the blade slide back into its sheath. The bard nearly ran from her post at the window to throw herself into Sebastian's arms. "My prince, you had me worried." She was heard to murmur from within his embrace.

Sebastian smiled as he held her closely. "Is your opinion of my skills so poor then my lady?" He asked teasingly.

"Not your skill, your mental acuity." She retorted, able to tease back now that she knew he was well.

"Ouch. A hit! A palpable hit! You might just have drawn blood." Sebastian winced and still holding his bard closely he looked over her head at the rest of the folk who had waited for word. "Serendal has made the Obarskyrs the objects of a Blood Feud. My mother would like to request that all of you remain here as our guests, until this is resolved."

Sabine who stood now within her husbands arms nodded her confirmation of this. Amon's sapphire eyes were nearly glowing as they looked down at her and then his gaze flickered over Briar and Sebastian. "My prince." He mouthed the words to her and his wife's eyes grew as misty as his own. To hear someone address their son so lovingly in the same words she had used when they were young lovers was achingly sweet.

**TBC**


	9. Chapter 9

**Vows of Blood and Honor**

* * *

><p>Briar sighed and looked up from the book she was reading. Though the elven history was extremely interesting it chafed that she had nothing to occupy her time besides reading or practicing her music or swordplay. A small smile touched her lips. The fact that normally she didn't do much besides those two things when she wasn't confined to the palace didn't matter much. The addition of reading was in an attempt to occupy all of her time.<p>

Sebastian's gaze met her own and he smiled. "It has only been a week." He said quietly. "You were in Anakin's room for longer than that."

"Somehow this is different." Briar murmured. "Perhaps because I have so little time alone with you, whereas then you would visit me for hours and we had privacy to talk." She rolled her eyes. "Now I find myself wondering when my father will walk through those doors in silent outrage that you and I are alone together."

The prince's smile grew wider. "I must admit my thoughts traveling along similar paths." He chuckled and rose from his desk to sit on the bed beside her. Curled up against his pillows with the book on the bed next to her, his Briar Rose looked adorably tousled and sensual. "If only since he seems to be drawn to us when I have the least idea of loving you."

Briar smiled up at him and flipped the book shut. "He doesn't like you." She told him. "I was actually on my way to talk with you about it when I was attacked." She narrowed her eyes. "Kelso does understand that I don't need to be watched when I'm with you doesn't he?"

Sebastian laughed. "He watches the room to be sure of when you leave or arrive. He does not magically spy within here. He knows I would have his head." His sapphire eyes gleamed curiously. "Other than the obvious reasons, why doesn't your father like me? The obvious reasons being that no father likes the man he knows is touching his daughter."

Briar grinned. "Actually he said that you treat me like a toy one minute and then a frail lady the next. He thinks you toss jewels and gowns at me like paying a mistress and that you act as though I'm your concubine. He thinks you have no respect for me as a woman, only as a bard. That is your only virtue in his eyes by the way, your love of my music and respect you have for my talent."

Sebastian narrowed his eyes. "Does he think so little of you that you allow this?" His sensual voice darkened.

Briar sighed as she shook her head. "I don't think he believes I have any power over the way you treat me." She explained. "He knows I love you. But he said he wouldn't see me throw myself away on a fool and a fop like you. He must believe that my love for you blinds me to your faults." She kissed him softly. "I assure you it does not."

Sebastian gave her a mock pout. "You mean I have faults?" He asked in a foolish astonished voice. Briar giggled and he smiled at the sound of her joy. "You cannot blame him for believing the image I have been presenting. It fools a great many people, all of whom have known me longer than your father."

"It did not fool Dragon or I." Briar pointed out as he pulled her so that she slid down from the pillows to lie beside him. Her arms settled around his neck holding him intimately as he embraced her. "Not completely anyway."

Sebastian smiled down at her. "I was not trying very hard to hide who I was from you beloved." He told her. "Your father is going to be in semi-close quarters with us these next few weeks. He will have a chance to look beyond the courtier's mask. Whether or not he chooses to do so is up to him."

Briar nodded and stared up at him breathlessly. "He is not here now." She pointed out. "Are you not thinking of loving me?" She pressed her hips to his, discovering for herself the evidence to the contrary.

"I am indeed." Sebastian murmured his mouth lowering to her lips and gently beginning their play.

* * *

><p>Lorelei hesitantly entered Dragon's rooms. The suite she'd assigned him suited her love greatly, heavy furniture of deep brown and dark green and gold furnishings seemed to emphasize his own wicked looks.<p>

Taking a seat in one of the armchairs she waited for him to join her. The last week had been one of uneasy truce on her part and partially amused anger on his. His astonishment that she could be jealous over Katherine still echoed in her ears. He'd seemed to think the idea so preposterous.

Dragon came out of the bedroom and regarded her with an inscrutable gaze. "So you are of the opinion I enjoyed Katherine kissing me?" He remarked quietly.

"Well it certainly looked like it." Lorelei said in annoyance. She folded her arms and pressed her lips together firmly.

"Looks can be deceiving." Dragon informed her. "Why would I desire a Lady exactly like that? They are what I have tried to avoid for years."

"You don't kiss me!" Lorelei said heatedly. "How can you not like it when she kisses you? You're a man after all. It's very obvious that men have different needs than women."

Dragon's eyes narrowed and he leaned over her. "Little girl, you have a great deal to learn about men." He whispered. "Callow boys cannot control themselves long enough to cease stealing kisses from every lady even when they believe their hearts are engaged to one. Striplings grow aroused at the merest touch and eagerly pursue every lady that catches their fancy." His whisper was rough and rasping. "Men learn to control themselves enough to be trusted in the company of a lady, even one who plays the part of a pursuer, however unwelcome."

"She didn't look unwelcome!" Lorelei said. "I put up with her hovering around you like a bee near a honey pot. I dealt with her snipes and nasty looks and downright insults to me. I didn't say a word when time and time again I entered a room to find the two of you alone together. I'm not supposed to be upset when she gets the kisses I want so badly? Maybe you should just take her to bed and I can learn to ignore that too!"

"Why didn't you say anything about how upset you were getting?" Dragon growled. "I assure you I know how to refuse someone's company without being rude."

"Because it wouldn't have done me any good!" Lorelei retorted in exasperation. "She's foreign nobility and its part of my duties to be polite to her. That she dislikes me personally only makes it more annoying. I can't do anything about her except ignore her."

"You should not ignore how she makes you feel!" Dragon's macabre voice informed her. "Not when I could easily prevent that which is so upsetting to you."

"You can't prevent her from kissing you it seems." Lorelei snapped waspishly. "Why would I believe you could do anything about her other actions?"

"Will you stop harping on that?" Dragon growled at her a bit more loudly. "Sweet Maiden, Lorelei, I told you, I wasn't kissing her. She was kissing me, for your benefit I might add, and a more artfully calculated move I've rarely seen. You reacted exactly as she wished. You left me alone with her again. She wanted to take up right where she'd left off. If you had stayed and railed at her as you are at me now you might have prevented what happened."

"Why didn't you just take up again?" Lorelei asked with interested spite. "I was already mad at you. At least you would have gotten to have sex! One of us would have had some relief. Or don't you need it!" She shifted in the chair pouting a bit and putting her shoulder to him.

"Damn it Lorelei!" Dragon took her shoulder and none too gently turned her to face him. "You will at least give me the courtesy of looking at me when you make these ludicrous accusations little girl!" His eyes bore into hers glittering with anger, and in spite of his anger, desire. "I didn't take up with Katherine as she wanted because I have no interest in her. She doesn't even engage my mind much less my affections, and comes no where near my heart."

"But…" Lorelei opened her mouth and Dragon nearly snarled at her.

"No! Don't even say a word!" He commanded in his rough growl. "When I'm through explaining this to you little girl, I will not have you ever accusing me of such things again." He took her wrist and pulled her hand forward, pressing it against his groin. "You feel that?" He demanded, his arousal obvious. "Having sex with Katherine will do nothing to alleviate the desire I have for you. Relief? If only it were so simple." He leaned forward, his body looming over hers. "If sex is all you want then you should have disobeyed your mother years ago and thrown the gift of your body at some fool courtier who would have luxuriously seduced you." His other hand pushed into the knot of curls at her neck and gripped her hair and neck firmly. "I need to make love to you, to the woman I love. This isn't about sex."

He looked into her eyes, praying with all his heart that she would understand. "This is about you trusting me." He said more quietly. "I don't want Katherine. I never have. But I could swear a thousand oaths to you and if you don't trust me they will not matter. If you can't believe that I love you, and only you. That I am a man not a boy, and I will be faithful until death. If you cannot believe in me now, how will we fare when we are wed? There will be a thousand situations where we will be tested. This is only the first. Will you constantly find me wanting?"

He let go of her hand and slowly she pulled it back from him, wanting badly to still touch him but worried he would believe she was trying to seduce him again. She let it fall to her lap, nervously plucking at the fabric of her gown. "I didn't realize that I didn't trust you." She said softly. "But you are right. That is what it is about. Do I trust you to love me even when I am being unlovable? And do I trust that you will still love me even when there are other women around."

She looked down. "It's hard for me to admit, that I don't always feel confident in my ability to attract, especially a man, not a boy I can manipulate. You put me on unfamiliar ground and I'm feeling my way, but I make mistakes and I fall." She shrugged. "I suppose with my family I always thought everything came down to sex. That was how a man expressed that he loved you. That was part of why I couldn't believe at first that you loved me. Or that Sebastian loved Briar, since he wasn't able to touch her. It never occurred to me that it might prove more if a man refused to have sex with me."

"Lorelei…" Dragon said softly not wishing her grow upset.

"No, I'm all right." She took a deep breath. "I try to manipulate you, and you see right through me, and supposedly that's what I'm really good at. I pout and coax and try to get my way and you put your foot down. I try to seduce you, because I know that I want you so badly. I don't even know if I'll like it… I mean…having a man inside of me. But I know that I want you so badly…so I keep trying to have things my way."

She looked up at him. "I'm sorry I doubted you. I'm usually very good at looking at everything from a logical aspect. I mean that's why I'm a good diplomat, I see things from many perspectives. But with you, I lose my perspective and I get upset when I see someone throwing herself at you, and even though I know deep down you wouldn't be attracted to her, and I could see you weren't kissing her back. I don't know how to be logical and sane about you Dragon. But I will try harder and maybe that will make life a bit easier for you. I just have a difficult time trusting you completely, when you don't trust me."

Dragon shook his head. "Lorelei, little girl, you don't understand." He sighed but he was smiling as he did it. "I understand all of that. I do trust you, completely. And I'm glad you're beginning to see that it's because I love you that I resist your machinations and amazing attempts to seduce me." He picked her up out of the chair and sat down in it holding her in his lap. "Katherine has been annoying me too, but I knew we had to be polite to her so I didn't mention it to you. I wish I had, you might have found it easier to tell me she was being so bitchy to you."

He looked at her and one battle scarred hand touched her hair. "You know, if I were interested in an easy life I would never have become a Knight of Twilight. I would have ignored Briar's plight and probably never have met you. You challenge me, and comfort me at the same time. And I've never felt about another woman the way I feel about you. I'm going to love you forever Lorelei. I love you even when you're pitching a fit, or making nasty remarks about not needing sex." He shifted uncomfortably for a moment. "You drive me crazy but I adore you."

"Dragon…" Lorelei looked at him. "I know it sounds stupid…but why aren't you attracted to her?" She asked. "I know that a man can be completely in love with one woman and still desire and bed other women. I've heard… well let's just say that I've heard stories about my parents and some of their younger days."

Dragon grinned. "So have I heard stories." He shook his head. "That's a lot to live up to." He teased. One finger traced the bow of her lips and he said seriously. "Honestly? Other women, hold attraction for me, and mild interest but when I weigh the pleasure of having sex with them against the price you and I would pay in being hurt by it, it is not worth it to me." He looked at her and asked quietly. "Do you understand?"

"Because you are honorable." Lorelei said slowly, beginning to understand what honor meant to Dragon. "It wouldn't occur to you to do what you please and then lie to me about it, or conceal what you've done." She sighed. "Dragon, then why are you concealing yourself from me? There is so much you won't tell me, or have not told me."

"Yes, I do try to be honorable." Dragon said slowly. "And there is some twisting of my straightforward ways when it comes to my past and my heritage. I do not confide in folk easily. What I have not told you I have never told anyone. Will you believe that it is nothing harmful? I am not an outlaw of the Silver Marches or anything."

Lorelei looked at him thoughtfully. "I feel easier at least now that you've told me that there is something. I didn't think it would be anything abhorrent… I am just used to secrets and intrigue among the Court and I did not like to see it in you. It made trusting you more difficult, and Katherine knew exactly which of my strings to pull." She smiled slightly. "And you will tell me of yourself when you are ready. So long as I know that, it is enough."

Dragon wrapped her more closely in his arms. "I love you my Lorelei. Little Siren." He kissed the top of her head absently, his eyes gazing into the past.

* * *

><p>Asrai sighed from where she sat and regarded her mother. "They've probably given my part to someone else." She said glumly.<p>

"Give it a rest babe." Faith said from where she sprawled on the floor. "You were ready to kill the director anyway. And you know you like Tredorian's plays better than anything else." She was polishing the blade of her dagger lovingly with a soft cloth admiring the light gleaming on the blade.

"Quite frankly my dear, I'm so thankful you're still alive I'm finding it very difficult to be sympathetic about a lost part in a play that in your description thus far sounds a bit farcical." Sabine said quietly as she tuned the strings of her lute. "From the sound of it the men Serendal hired would have gotten there before your rehearsal was done. How many others would have died if you had refused to leave?"

"I know, and that's part of why I never disobey those messages when Faith gets them." Asrai groused. "I just miss it."

"I know." Sabine smiled. "Perhaps you might write to Tredorian and tell him what's going on? Within reason? You two might try some letter games."

"Letter games?" Faith looked up curiously. "What's that?"

"One person begins the game by setting the scene, the time and place, and writing as if they were a character in a play. Asrai might write to Tredorian as Beatrice would write to Don Pedro." Sabine explained. "Then the recipient writes back, as the other character."

Faith nodded. "That would be fun for you babe, between you and Tredorian you could come up with a whole story. He could turn it into a play."

Asrai grinned. "That sounds like it would be fun. I'll have to write and see what he thinks." She moved towards the desk and began to write.

Sabine smiled down at Faith. "Thank you." She said softly. "For bringing her home."

Faith just grinned up at her. "That's my job."

Sabine shook her head at the sometimes impish girl. "I'm just grateful Morgana is with the elves. Lamruil and Maura have written that there is no sign of any treachery, but they are guarding against such. They told Morgana, half fearing I think that she wouldn't take it seriously, but Lamruil says that she is extremely careful and her watcher goes with her everywhere."

"She can't get much safer than with the elves." Faith muttered. "She's better there than here."

Sabine nodded. "My thoughts exactly. I'd send all my children if I thought I could."

Faith looked at her. "You can't?" She raised her eyebrows.

Sabine sighed. "No, I can't." She shook her head. "I don't think the Cormanthor would survive the shock of the Obarskyrs descending upon it." Her honey voice was dryly humorous and Faith laughed.

TBC


	10. Chapter 10

**Vows of Blood and Honor**

* * *

><p>Andreas closed his eyes against the light that slipped between the drapes over his windows. Even the misty grey sunlight that seemed so dull outdoors was not dark enough for him. His friend was gone, and no amount of sun would put the light back in his sherry brown eyes.<p>

Darew had been with him for so long, almost as far back as his memory went. When he had been ten, Darew had been twenty. When he had been six, Darew had been sixteen. To a small boy, the teenage watcher had been a tall, strong presence, ever constant.

Andreas nearly smiled as he remembered thinking Darew had just liked him, that the older male was his friend and enjoyed being with Andreas. He remembered thinking that every child had a friend like Darew to be with. For a while he had been certain Darew was related to him. The watcher had gone everywhere with him. It was almost unthinkable for the small prince to take part in an activity when Darew would not be present.

Strangely, or perhaps not so strangely considering Sebastian's current profession, it had been his younger brother who disabused him of that notion. At fourteen when Andreas was going through a moody stage of wanting to be alone he had slipped away from Darew to walk on the ramparts. He could usually be assured of at least five or ten minutes of solitude before the older male caught up with him. The younger prince had matter of factly commented that Andreas should not go out on the ramparts without Darew. When his brother had asked why Sebastian had looked at him as if he was dense and asked how was Darew supposed to protect Andreas if Andreas kept running off and making himself a target?

Andreas had simply blinked at his younger brother and Sebastian had said as if it were obvious. "Darew stays with you to protect you Andreas. He might be your friend, but he's also your Watcher."

Andreas had had to think about that one. Certainly he had heard of his parents speaking of 'Watchers' in connection with their children, but he'd never thought Darew was his. When he'd thought about it for a while it hadn't made much difference in his friendship with Darew, but he no longer avoided the Watcher's company, even when he wanted to be alone.

Andreas sighed and winced as the deep breath sent a pain through his shoulder. It was not right that he should live while Darew had died.

"Darew will always be with you," A voice from the shadows said.

The startled Andreas flinched slightly so surprised that another person was within the room. Almost instantly, he recognized the voice. Turning to a darkened corner, Andreas said, "Father."

Amon shifted slightly allowing some light from the window to fall upon his figure. He stood leaning up against a wall opposite Andreas' bed having come in while his son slept. For the better part of almost an hour, the King had watched his oldest son both asleep and then awake.

Andreas shifted from his seated position on his bed. He had not left the bed all day, having dozed on and off since last night. He felt a bit unsure now, afraid of what his father might think of him still mourning a friend. "I…" Andreas began when he realized his father was not going to say anything else. "I was thinking of when you first introduced me to Darew."

From the shadows, Amon paused for a moment, then smiled as he recalled his son looking up at the older man as Amon made the introductions. "Yes."

"You lied to me," Andreas said, his voice dropping to almost a whisper. He looked up finally, towards the corner where his father stood as he made his accusation.

"What?" Amon said, no trace of anger in his voice, simply confusion.

"You told me," Andreas explained, "that Darew was a friend of the family." Andreas looked up again. "You lied to me."

Amon stepped forward now, the light from the window hitting his face now. The King took just one step, and then folded his arms behind his back. "I see." Amon said finally after a few moments contemplation. "Well," He said looking at his son, "what I told you was true, from a certain point of few."

Andreas looked at his father dumbfounded. "A certain point of few?" He finally asked his face showing disbelief.

"Yes," Amon said. "From a certain point of view, Darew was a friend to the family, albeit one who was a protective snort."

Andreas, the dutiful, polite, obedient son could not withhold his reaction at his father's reply. "A certain point of view," He snorted again in disbelief.

Amon sighed and walked over to his son's bed. Sitting down at the far end of the bed, Amon said, "Son, you're going to learn as a ruler that many of the truths you cling to so dearly are only valid from a certain point of view. Still", Amon said shifting and looking directly at Andreas, "I understand your point of view and realize you make a valid point about being deceived."

"But, you just said," Andreas began.

"I know," Amon said raising a hand. "But being a ruler has also taught me that other people can be just as right as myself from their point of view even though we disagree on the same issue. There is no black and white Andreas in most matters, there is simply a gray from through which you must navigate."

Andreas paused for a moment before answering, "There is one thing very black and white. Darew is dead."

"And you feel responsible," Amon said quickly.

Andreas eyes shot up. "I know-" He stopped then closed his eyes. "I know people are going to die protecting me. I mean, I knew that was a possibility. But," the young Prince's voice cracked now. "I did not think I'd hold my friend in my arms as he died for me." As he finished speaking, Andreas' composure cracked and tears streamed down his face.

Amon waited several seconds letting the tears fall before his son's face. Finally, father reached out an arm, "Andreas-"

The young Prince jumped up as if instantly ashamed at his reaction. "I must get dressed," He said moving towards his wardrobe to find an outfit. "It's past midday and I am still in simply my pajama bottoms."

"Andreas!"

The firm, commanding voice from his father made Andreas pause and turn a tear streaked face back at the King. "Sir," He said weakly.

Amon did not look at his son. Instead his eyes took on a distant look as he stared off into space seeing to visualize something else. "When I was sixteen, I was leading a squad through the Cormanthor..."

Andreas froze and felt his eyes go wide. In all his life, he had never heard his father speak of the Cormanthor. It would be briefly brought up sometimes, by others, but Amon always brushed aside any lengthy discussions. Andreas had read of his father's actions during the War, but he never felt the courage to ask the King directly feeling it would be intruding.

Yet, now Amon talked, oblivious it seemed to Andreas reaction, as if he needed to get the words out now. "We came upon this hill, where some of Malar's forces had set up an ambush point." Amon swallowed. "I ordered the position taken, even though others objected."

Andreas stood transfixed as his father raised his eyes and looked at his son. "During the attack," Amon said, "my medic," Amon felt his hands shake, "my..fr...my best friend was fatally wounded. He died in my arms."

For several seconds silence descended upon the room. Slowly then, Andreas returned to his previous position and sat down on the bed again. "How-" He began feeling as if there was a link between father and son that had never been there before. "Did-" He stopped and shook his head feeling like a rambling boy.

"The same way you feel, I imagine," Amon said answering the unspoken question. "Though every person deals with a situation in their own way. But," Amon said shifting slightly his position on the bed, "what I really am trying to say is I knew the risks and you did not when you went out with Darew to practice. But, I know that I made the right decision that day. Others might not think so, but I believe I did."

Andreas felt he finally understood what his father was trying to make him understand. "But, you still regret the decision."

Amon closed his eyes and then opened them again quickly. "Every day of my life," He added quietly.

Andreas shivered feeling suddenly very cold in the room despite it being past midday. "What I'm trying to say," Amon said rising as he spoke now, "is that people are going to die based on your decisions." He shook his head. "I thought then when I was fighting that I might spare my children that horrible reality. I told myself that if my children could avoid dealing with what I was facing, then no matter what pain I went through, it was worth it." Amon shook his head as if not understanding the thoughts of his teenage self. "How naïve of me."

"Not naïve," Andreas interrupted. "Just wishful," He said in a softer voice understanding now that was his problem now more than anything else. He knew he had done nothing wrong in the circumstances leading up to Darew's death. But, he still wished that things had turn out differently, then, and years ago, when a girl by the sea had reached out to touch his cheek, and say goodbye.

Andreas stood again about to move to the wardrobe. He paused and turned to regard his father. "Thank you sir," He said extending his hand.

Amon looked at him for a moment, hoping he had understood. Then slowly he extended his own hand. The two men grasped each other, more like comrades in arm now rather than father and son. "You're welcome Andreas."

Amon watched his son turn back to the wardrobe and begin to select an outfit. The King knew there was more to his son's mood than just Darew's death, but for now, for today, enough had been dealt with. Perhaps in time, the king thought as he moved to leave and give his son some privacy, Andreas would be ready to deal with whatever other ghosts from the past still haunted him.

* * *

><p>Briar looked up from fingering her harp, and shook her wrist trying to loosen it. Sebastian threw a grin at her and then frowned when he saw what she was doing. "Are you well?" He asked in concern.<p>

The bard flexed her fingers and rotated her wrist. "I'm fine love. But practicing the same movement over and over does require that I periodically exercise the muscles differently."

Her father nodded his understanding. "I have the same difficulty when I practice my flute."

Briar suppressed a smile. Her father had been doing his best to discover where she was sleeping. He had also done a fine job of not broaching the subject with her, and ignoring Sebastian almost completely unless bound by courtesy.

Sebastian rose and kissed her forehead as he went past. His hand trailed down her back making her shiver and drawing a frown from her father. "My Rose, you look overtired." He observed. "You are not sleeping well." It might have sounded like speculation to anyone else but Briar knew he was well aware of her restlessness at night.

"I can't help thinking that this is all my fault." Briar said quietly. "If not for me, your family would have nothing to do with Serendal."

Sebastian reseated himself and regarded her with sapphire blue eyes that grew darker by the second. He was aware that she had not confided in her father her reasons for leaving Serendal. All Vidan knew of it was Saldan had come to Aeliara and due to his actions there had been executed for treason. "I am aware of the fact that had you not come here, I likely never would have met you. And my life and heart would be the poorer for it." He smiled. "Court was despairingly dull without you love." He teased donning his mask more thoroughly.

Briar was spared replying to that uncannily accurate statement by the arrival of a page. The boy handed Sebastian a folded note with a black seal and Briar tensed immediately. Sebastian looked at her and at the note and then patted her hand reassuringly before he opened it. "I read here that the Lady of Serendal, Ljosa, has been killed. The whereabouts of her husband and lord Serek and her daughter Loren are as yet unknown."

Briar sighed. "Lady Ljosa." She shook her head. "A strange sad frightening woman." She fingered her harp and looked down at the strings.

"I am pleased that an enemy of my daughters is dead." Vidan said coolly. "But why does the head of Cormyr's intelligence agency and the head of the assassins' guild send this information to you instead of the queen or king?"

Sebastian smiled coolly, his mask fading around his eyes and for a moment he looked as dangerous as Briar knew he could be. "Well now Lord Dhulouragne, could it be that the answer is right before you, but you simply are not seeing it?" He drawled in his sensual languid tone. He rose and bent down to Briar. "I'll return beloved." Before she could reply he kissed her passionately, thoroughly, drawing a response from her in spite of her father's angry gaze. Breaking the kiss he smiled slowly and brushed his mouth against hers in a light sweet caress. "Don't wear out your fingers my Rose." He admonished as he strode purposefully from the room.

Vidan looked after him with a glare and then caught sight of his daughter staring dreamily after her love. A sigh escaped her lips the sound a complete antithesis to her sigh of a few moments ago. "What was that all about?"

Briar smiled still caught up in the mood Sebastian's kiss had left her in. "Sebastian kissed me." She remarked absently.

"I didn't mean his continued propensity towards treating you as a concubine he possesses. I was speaking of why he receives messages from his Raden. And his words." Vidan said irately.

"You know Father, for someone who follows Lady Silverhair, you do not act with a great deal of respect for her credos." Briar said gently. "I am far from perfect but I do try. Where my beloved is concerned, do you even try?" She tilted her head. "And do you even notice what he does and says as opposed to how he presents himself?" She rose and picked up her harp. "I am going to take a nap. Sebastian is right. I have not been sleeping well." She curtseyed to her father and smiled. "I leave you to think on my words. Perhaps you do not know anyone as well as you think. And if you continue to choose to only believe surface appearances, I'm not sure what type of relationship we can have."

* * *

><p>Sebastian reentered the sitting room and looked around for a moment. In a dry voice he asked Vidan. "What? Did you chase her off?" His mouth quirked up at the corner.<p>

"Hardly that." Vidan told him, the elf's eyes moved over the prince again. "She said she was going to take a nap." As Sebastian nodded Vidan noted again the beautiful but very functional sword at the princes hip and wondered why he had heard nothing of Sebastian's brush with the assassins.

The prince did not speak any further but began to neatly stack and roll up the parchment he had been alternately studying and taking notes upon. "I will finish my work at the desk in my rooms." He said finally when he had everything. "I'm sorry to inflict my presence on you."

Vidan simply looked at him and finally said. "I've noticed everyone in your family has a position of responsibility of sorts. Your sister Asrai is concentrating on her education and that explains why she does not have a post. But what is it precisely that you do?"

Sebastian smiled languidly. "Why just as I told your daughter when she asked me the same. I do very little. I am after all a Courtier, not good for much."

"Your parents do not seem to be those who would easily tolerate such nonsense." Vidan observed.

The prince bowed slightly. "No, but they tolerate it if not easily." His voice was carefully bored and his face expressionless but for faint amusement.

"That is not their manner when they regard you." The bladesinger pointed out. "They act around you as if you are doing something that they respect."

Sebastian tilted his head and let his eyes sharpen speculatively over the elf's face. "You know very little of my family's history. Hardly anything of my parents and all they suffered in their youth. I merely am as my father was, before he married my mother. If you wish to know more than that, you may certainly investigate their past." He smiled mockingly. "Of course the respect you see may simply be their distaste for showing any feeling other than pride for their children before an individual who is still a relative stranger and has made no effort to be other than such." He swept the elf lord a mocking graceful bow and strode languidly from the room.

Meeting Dragon and Lorelei in the hallway he shook his head. "Were I you I'd choose another place to relax." He suggested. "Vidanalas is in there and having just spoken with me he's most likely not in the best of moods."

Lorelei smiled up at him sweetly. "You have that effect on everyone Sebastian." She pointed out.

"Lorelei, don't ever change." Sebastian smiled affectionately and then added. "The gods forbid you should grow any worse."

Dragon as always rolled his eyes at such baiting of each other but forbore to become involved in the verbal sparring. He was well aware that these two loved each other but sometimes it seemed the only pleasure they had left from childhood was this exchange of insults.

Sebastian moved on, and Lorelei turned to Dragon. "The joys of insulting my brother aside do we wish to go to the library instead?" She asked. "I have not noticed Lord Dhulouragne having any especial liking for my company."

Dragon considered her for a moment. "I think I would like to see exactly how annoyed Sebastian left him." He said thoughtfully. "We haven't seen that Vidanalas actively dislikes you as he does Sebastian."

Lorelei nodded. "If he starts in on my brother when I am there he will be in for a shock." She muttered. "I'll put up with a lot but no one insults my family."

"That's your job?" Dragon teased her.

"Exactly." She smiled serenely up at him and stuck out her tongue.

Dragon reached as quick as the now vanished beast for which he was named and took the tip of her tongue between his thumb and finger. "What will you do now my Siren?" He teased. "Shall I give it back?"

Lorelei's expression changed and she lifted her eyebrows curiously. Her amber eyes gleamed up at him like a dare.

The warrior chuckled and put his other hand beneath her chin. "You offer me your tongue my Lorelei, I think I will have it where I would like it best at the moment." Holding her still he bent and slipped his mouth over her tongue, as he released it from his fingers. Lazily his own tongue wrapped around hers and stroked her mouth. Lorelei melted against him, feeling as if he was infusing her with liquid heat from her lips straight to her belly.

Dragon's free hand took one of hers and gently pulled up upward to rest against his heart as he slowly kissed her. This time it was Lorelei who pulled away gasping and leaned against the wall. "Dragon." She whispered. "Please don't."

"I thought this was what you wanted Lorelei." He asked in gentle confusion. His willingness to accept her request was as obvious as his need had been in their embrace.

"I do, sweet Sune knows I do." Lorelei took a deep breath. "But I know my own limits." She met his eyes and her own were molten gold with passion and love. "If you had not stopped I would have tried to seduce you and have my way again. And I know that probably wasn't what you had in mind."

"No it was not." Dragon admitted. "I know you need affection and touching. You are accustomed to that because of your family's loving nature. I am not generally a very affectionate man but I am trying to be more so since I know it makes you feel loved."

"And I do." Lorelei admitted. "You are right about that. I love your touch. Your kisses are treasures. But I am greedy for them. I never wish to stop kissing you." She smiled. "You and I…we are a strange pair."

Dragon moved towards her and carefully took her in his arms, amazed at how strong she truly was and how fragile she seemed. "Only at first glance." He said softly. "I appreciate that you stopped me." He kissed the top of her head. "It requires all of my self control to cease kissing you on my own."

Lorelei grinned ironically. "Mine too." Her irrepressible sense of the ridiculous got the better of her and she tilted her head up at him. "Boy we're going to frustrate each other until we get married. Do you think we'll even leave our room for the first week?"

Dragon's chuckle rumbled through his chest. "Only a week?" He grinned boyishly. "You underestimate yourself, or is it me of whom you have such low expectations?"

Lorelei blushed slightly and bussed his mouth. "I expect you'll be dragging me off to bed whenever whim strikes you the second week, but I think we might get as far as appearing in the hallways." She gave him an appraising look acting very much like the Princess Lorelei now. "Low expectations? Of you? Oh never my Dragon…never."

Dragon's eyes twinkled down at her and he glanced toward the sitting room. "Perhaps we might go and join Lord Dhulouragne? I think company will prevent us from becoming too…amorous."

"You mean an audience?" Lorelei teased. "Certainly if you feel the need for one."

**TBC**


	11. Chapter 11

**Vows of Blood and Honor**

* * *

><p>The bladesinger looked up as Dragon and Lorelei entered the room. His dark green eyes to which his daughters were so similar were not warm as hers usually were, nor did he smile at seeing them. "Dragon, Your Highness." He greeted them. "How are you?"<p>

Lorelei smiled as Dragon courteously helped her to sit and then took his place beside her on the sofa. Sitting together they appeared as little alike in looks as Sebastian and Briar. Vidan found himself wishing aloud that Prince Sebastian treated Rosaleen with as much respect.

Lorelei regarded him curiously. "Surely you jest sir?" She queried. "No one has more respect for Briar than my younger brother."

"His manner towards her does not speak of such." Vidan replied. "No, I do not jest."

"Then you insult both my heart sister and my friend." Dragon said coldly. "Would that I had the skill to explain it to you in a language you would understand."

"You do not speak Elven then?" Vidan asked, not even seeming to realize that he was insulting. "I must admit at times my grasp of Common and its varied idioms is tenuous at best."

"I speak the language of my mother very well." Dragon growled out. "I was raised speaking and reading Elven and Common. I meant that I do not have the skill of a bard to carry my meaning into words."

Lorelei smiled coolly. "My entire family, including my younger brother and sister speaks and reads the language of our Grandfather and our great grandparents." She smoothly reminded him that she also was of elven heritage. "Do you know anything about Sebastian at all? Or of the relationship he has with Briar?"

"What I have seen of him has been enough." Vidan ground out. "Though my daughter made a valid point in my lack of courtesy towards him."

Dragon let out a bark of laughter. "That you haven't yet killed him shows remarkable restraint." He remarked. "But you are missing the entire point." He patted Lorelei's hand. "My sister didn't trust men at all besides myself and her uncles. Her attitude towards the nobility was also one of antipathy. Sebastian showed her that not all men and not all nobility are so lacking."

"Sebastian?" Vidanalas regarded Dragon as if he were a lackwit. "Are we talking about the same fool prince?"

"You will keep a civil tongue in your mouth when you speak of my brother sirrah!" Lorelei said coldly. "Were it not for Sebastian you might never have known of your daughter. She searched for you through the embassy but Sebastian hounded the elves until they found you. He asked Lady Shen if she had heard of you. He searched through miles worth of registry trying to determine exactly when you were in Cormyr and where you had gone."

Vidanalas looked at her searchingly. "I have seen nothing of this in him." He said quietly. "All he has ever presented himself to be is the epitome of a dilettante, a fool and a courtier. I knew my daughter believed herself to be in love with him. I thought it calf love, over with her innocent youth and he only to be enjoying its fruits."

"Fruits?" Dragon rose angrily and even as Vidan rose to meet him the half elven man towered over him, a wiry mountain of muscle and height. "What kind of a father are you? Do you have any idea what you're talking about?"

"I am her father!" Vidan fired back. "I love her as I never thought to love anyone. I only want to protect her. Even from herself if I must. I know she loves him. I make no objection to him constantly being with her even though I dislike him. I do not want her to be unhappy. I only wish to prevent her from continuing to give herself to a man who cannot truly love her as she needs to be loved."

Dragon's fists clenched and he turned away lest he strike the elf. Lorelei looked up at him and smiled tightly sympathizing with the anger she saw in his normally inscrutable face. "It is obvious that you love her." She said quietly. "But you do not know her. You do not even acknowledge that she is anything other than your daughter."

"She is a talented bard." Vidan said quietly.

"You do not even call her by her nickname, ever. Did you know she is also a warrior?" Lorelei said icily. "Were you aware of the fact that she won the bardic competition in this city? Did you know that my brother, a renowned rake, never even thought of having her as a mistress once he knew her? He always treated her with the respect a lady is due. He introduced her to our uncle Anakin, formally. You might have heard of him, Anakin Moonflower Craulnober, the Crown Prince of the Cormanthor. He thought nothing of defying our parents, even our mother, to stay here with her. She wouldn't even acknowledge that there was more than friendship between them at the time."

Dragon turned and regarded the elf. "Did you know that your daughter was haunted by nightmares? For a while she couldn't bear a man touching her. That she trusts Sebastian to touch and handle her 'like a concubine' as you say, should tell you how deeply she loves him. This is not a child's infatuation that will vanish with the morning's mist."

"And his love for her?" The elven lord asked quietly. "I do not see any depth in his love for her. I see a selfish child's possessiveness. I see a spoilt young man's lust. And I see a music lover's pride. He has not shown me that he loves her."

"Why should he?" The king's voice said from behind him. He nodded pleasantly at Dragon and bent down to kiss his daughter's cheek.

Vidan looked at the golden man and shook his head. "I am her father." He said quietly. "How do you feel about the man who courts your daughter?"

"Proud." Amon said quietly. "That she loves such a good man. Glad, that such an honorable man loves her. Pleased, that they are so well suited. Yet, a bit sad that he will replace myself in many ways in Lorelei's heart." He regarded the elf with dark blue eyes and his smile was not gentle or kind. "But you do not feel any of those happy feelings when it comes to my son courting your child."

"His words gave me to believe that he was taking a page from your book. He said he was acting much as you did before you married the queen." Vidan said evenly. "If I had the hope he would grow to be a man such as you I would be honored to allow him to court my daughter." He shook his head. "I see no such thing happening."

To his surprise his words evoked a chuckle from the king who sat down in a chair and regarded the elf with a very amused gaze. His daughter and Dragon also appeared somewhat puzzled and he said to them. "Do you not remember stories of the young crown prince of Cormyr?" He asked. "He named a beautiful unknown woman of partial elven ancestry his personal bard and it was well known they were lovers. He went pub crawling and tumbled into more trouble trying to give the impression he was irresponsible."

His daughter laughed and nodded. "You managed to make the Queen Alusair angry with you, and everyone else think it impossible to take you seriously. Until you married and began showing everyone that you weren't precisely what you appeared to be." She smiled up at Dragon who at the gentle tug of her hand sat down beside her again.

Amon nodded. "Sebastian I am glad to tell you, is much more like his mother." The king said soberly. "And I have sometimes thought that she is a lady more suited to be a queen than I am suited to being a king. The decisions I hate, and agonize over, she simply chooses the necessary action and moves on. Her loving heart tempers her ruthless mind." He smiled affectionately at the thought of his wife. "Sebastian is very much the same."

"You speak of Sebastian as if he were someone else entirely." Vidanalas said in frustration.

"Yes." Amon nodded. "But my question to you still remains. Why should he show you that he loves Briar? He has no real reason to trust you. Blood ties are not enough, not for him, not for me either anymore."

"I recommend that you attend Court tonight." Lorelei said quietly, rising to her feet. "It is to be rather more formal than usual. In an effort to keep our spirits up, Mother allowed me to arrange for dancing, and it is to be fancy dress."

Dragon groaned. "It wanted only this." He shook his head.

"You do not wish to dance with me?" Lorelei asked with a tiny little pout that was belied by the teasing twinkle in her eyes.

"With you, more than anything. But Katherine is sure to stalk me as well, and we must be polite, which means dancing with her." Dragon groaned. "I had better go and gird my loins for the coming battle for my sanity."

"I didn't think of that." Lorelei made a face. She looked at Vidan. "Watch your daughter and my brother very carefully tonight. Her performance is to be a high point of the evening." She smiled up at her father and he nodded.

"Your twin is well enough now that he will be joining us at Court tonight." The king said with a smile. "He still has little heart for gaiety but he understands why you arranged this miniature ball. Andreas has hopes that perhaps watching you and his other sisters enjoy yourselves will lighten his own heart."

Dragon smiled. "Perhaps Lady Katherine will find an interest in him?" He suggested slyly.

Amon rolled his eyes. "Please, one step at a time."

* * *

><p>Amon straightened his doublet and called out. "Sabine, do you need any help?"<p>

From behind the dressing room door he heard her laugh. "Knowing you my love, I would be helped out of my dress, not into it."

Amon's somewhat guilty sounding chuckle gave proof to his wife's statement. He grinned to himself. Could he help it if he was still as madly in love with his Sabine now as he was all those years ago when they had been wed?

His wife had quite firmly pushed him out of the dressing room and refused to allow him back in explaining that she had a surprise for him. He knew it had something to do with her gown. It was white, of that he was certain, since his daughter had taken it into her head to limit the ladies gowns to that color. But other than that? He had no idea why his wife would be so secretive about how she would dress. She always looked beautiful.

Then he heard the door open and turned to see her, and understood why she had been so insistent. "Oh Sabine." He breathed with a smile.

The gown she wore was strikingly similar to her wedding dress. A pure white strapless underdress clung to her breasts and waist and flowed over her hips and legs in a full skirt. The overdress was sleeveless, wide straps with braided trim rested on her shoulders and tied with three bows over her abdomen. The skirt flared over her hips from a defining line of braid and a wide design of scrolling applique bordered the skirt from her hips down to the hem and around the entire skirt. The pure white satin seemed almost as creamy as her skin.

"Do you like it?" His wife smiled almost shyly and tilted her head inquiringly. Her coronet of braids was interwoven with white violets, the flowers she'd loved as long as he'd known her.

"How can you doubt it?" Amon moved closer to her and his fingers stroked her cheek and wrapped a tendril of gold around his finger. "You are just as beautiful as you were the day we were married." A wicked smile tilted his lips. "Which reminds me of the long standing desire I've had to have you outdoors in your wedding gown."

Sabine chuckled wickedly. "You mean on the ramparts of our home in Suzail?" She smiled teasingly. "You know I will grant your every desire my king." She murmured submissively, in the voice she knew aroused her husband instantly.

"Wicked wench." The king accused. "Tempting me when you know we haven't the time."

"Do we not?" Sabine stroked her hand over his groin, delicately caressing his aching cock. "Are you positive?" Violet eyes regarded him from beneath dark gold lashes.

Amon's hands gripped her shoulders and he brought his mouth down on hers. Soft lips opened for him immediately, allowing him to deepen the kiss. Then she gently pulled away and backed towards the bed. Spreading the skirt of her gown behind her she pulled the front of it up slowly. Her husband watched with a gleam in his eyes as her stockings and garters were revealed and the fact that her lower body was bare but for those flimsy garments.

"Surely we have time to satisfy you my husband." She purred at him as she let her slippers fall from her feet and watched him come closer.

Amon bent and while his hands busily undid his clothing and freed his now throbbing cock, let his lips trail over her upper thigh and nether lips. "I think that we can even be a bit late." He whispered against her skin. His tongue curled around her clit wickedly and he smiled as she moaned and spread her legs for him.

He rid himself of the last piece of confining clothing and leant over her, his hands drawing her legs up and around his waist. The head of his cock probed her slit as he teased her for a moment. "Amon." She murmured. "Yes." A gasp of delight escaped her as he pushed firmly inside her.

"I'm inside you Sabine." He told her harshly. "And you're going to come for me aren't you? Nice and hard and hot around my cock, for me? Aren't you?" He repeated nearly withdrawing from her completely and then ramming his cock home again.

"Yesss…Amon!" The passionate pleasure in her voice as she screamed his name couldn't be denied, nor the pulsing of her sheath around his member as he kept thrusting into his wife.

"Sabine…" Amon gripped her hips and slammed into her wildly, feeling hot cum boiling up from his balls and his thrusts grew rougher and rougher wanting only to possess her as he had so long ago. The need to fill her womb with his seed and mark her once again as belonging to him. "Arrghhh…Sabine…" He rooted himself into her as deeply as he could and heard her crying out again, groaning her name as he felt himself unloading his cum in shot after shot of creamy hot seed.

"I hope that I have satisfied my husband and king?" His wife asked in her sultry submissive honey voice. "Your wife has pleased you?"

In answer her husband kissed her mouth sweetly. "I hope I left you no doubt." He smiled. "My Sabine."

* * *

><p>Vidanalas regarded the assembled court. Apparently the trifling annoyance of a Blood Feud did not prevent the Obarskyrs from inviting every courtier. His eyes swept over the doors and windows taking in the Purple Dragon guards and the lack of weapons on anyone but the royal family and their close associates. The Obarskyrs wore their dress blades as if they were beautifully jeweled edged accessories but the Bladesinger noticed every single one was functional and easily reached.<p>

The elf suppressed a smile. By a strange twist of whim, Princess Lorelei had specified to the court that this was a formal fancy dress occasion and that the men were to wear black and the women white or cream only. According to human custom, for men, fancy dress along with the stipulation of formal meant doublet and hose and shoes, not boots. For women the same conditions seemed to mean full skirts and elbow length gloves along with high heels and jewels. The slim, figure skimming silhouettes so fashionably popular were not in evidence this evening. He had obliged her by appearing in his simplest but most elegant garb of black elven silk.. Even the king and queen had laughingly obeyed her dictates but not everyone appeared to advantage in the colors she has specified.

A genuine smile of loving pride curved the elf's mouth as he looked at his daughter. In a gown of purest white she looked stunning. The tiniest straps, simple cords that ran over her shoulders, held up her lace bodice and her skirts seemed to be made of many layers of gauze and tulle. The effect was fairylike. His smile faded as he watched Sebastian bow to her.

* * *

><p>Sebastian bowed to his beloved in appropriate homage to her beauty and smiled as she laughed. "Then you do like the dress?" He asked.<p>

"Sebastian it's beautiful." She told him twirling around for him to see. "Lorelei helped to pick it out didn't she?" Green eyes twinkled up at him.

"She and Asrai thought it would be nice for all three of you to have little flowers on your gowns." Sebastian admitted. "I only picked out the jewelry." He looked at her for another moment and smiled in delight. "You look so lovely."

And she did. Her lustrous black hair was piled artfully atop her head, with one long curl resting on her shoulder. On her neck and in her ears and woven into her hair were milky white pearls. Gloves of silk and satin covered her arms to her elbows. Deciding she was tall enough, her slippers had a minimal heel. Her dark green eyes glowed exotically in her beautiful face and she smiled up at him in delight.

"Your sisters look beautiful as well." Briar said softly. "We had great fun dressing together. Faith kept making faces until Asrai told her that she'd better get her own dress. And then Faith just pulled out this beautiful suit of black silk and said she was aping a man this evening."

Sebastian grinned. "There's no way anyone could mistake Faith for a man." He murmured.

"No." Briar agreed. "You look splendid." She complimented him. In black velvet hose, snow white dress shirt and a black velvet doublet with satin piping Sebastian was the picture of sartorial elegance. His golden curls and sapphire eyes seemed even brighter against the stark sobriety of his clothing. For in spite of his devil may care smile and bored slouch her prince of shadows did not look as if he were dressed for a night of dancing. "Sebastian." She murmured suddenly. "You do not have…an errand tonight do you?" Her white gloved hand tightened on his own and she lost her smile.

"No my Black Rose." Sebastian whispered in her ear. "I am not working tonight at anything other than being a courtier." He looked over at Dragon and Lorelei. "Your brother seems to be a bit…"

Briar smiled. "A bit unimpressed by all of this?" She asked. When Sebastian nodded her smile widened to a grin. "He dislikes occasions such as these but lately he told me he almost enjoys them, since Lorelei loves to go round making sure everyone is enjoying themselves." Sebastian wrinkled his forehead quizzically and Briar explained. "Dragon and I follow the Lady Silverhair, you knew this. One of her credos is to promote harmony between the races. Another is to encourage happiness by music, dance, and merriment. Dragon is regarding parties as a good chance to follow the aims of our goddess."

Sebastian grinned. "Let me guess. He still dislikes getting all dressed up for all that he looks supremely at ease."

Briar grinned. "But he tolerates it because he adores seeing Lorelei like this."

**TBC**


	12. Chapter 12

**Vows of Blood and Honor**

* * *

><p>"You take my breath away." Dragon told Lorelei. "I didn't think you could become more beautiful but you have." He regarded her admiringly. Her creamy white shoulders were framed by lacey embroidered straps in a flowering design that covered the bodice and in flowering vine tendrils extended onto the filmy silk skirt. The faintest touches of pink tinted a few of the flowers. Creamy pink beads of rose quartz and freshwater pearls were strung around her neck and hung from her ears. Gloves of the same soft silk covered her hands and arms to above her elbows.<p>

Dragon's fingers gently stroked over her cheek and he resisted the urge to plunge his hands into her hair. She so rarely wore it down but tonight a simple white silk band held it back from her face and the rest curled around her shoulders. The style was almost girlishly simplistic but with her amber eyes and creamy skin she looked elegant and more woman than a girl.

"You clean up very well yourself Dragon." Lorelei teased. "I didn't know you possessed such formal clothing."

"You thought I might come in my old sparring clothes?" Dragon smiled. Unlike Sebastian, he had not chosen velvet for his doublet and hose. The effect of the suede hose and embroidered black silk on the black suede doublet was rich and the effect one he enjoyed presenting. With his scarred face and long dark hair he looked like a pirate. He doubted though that any pirate would be caught dead in a shirt with ruffles at the collar and wrist no matter how plain they were. Unlike some men of the court who favored ruffles, his did not drip with lace.

"I had theorized that you would appear in the simplest version of black formal clothing." Lorelei said tactfully. "And while you did manage to do that, it is with such elegance that the effect is more pleasing than jet beads and lace." She smoothed a strand of his dark hair away from his face

"I thank you." Dragon bowed slightly. "I cannot feel at ease in silks and velvets, try as I might." He took her hand and as he rose kissed her cheek. "I am pleased that you approve my etrielle, I know of no one whose taste I respect more."

Lorelei smiled and then her gaze hardened. "Lady Katherine, how nice to see you." She greeted the other girl politely.

The brown haired girl nodded and smiled. "It is a lovely party. And such a novel idea, only two colors." She tilted her head and her hips twitched beneath her skirts. "White is a very interesting shade on you, your highness. It has such an effect on your skin."

Lorelei smiled sweetly back at her rival and was mentally firing off insults when Dragon said smoothly. "Lorelei was so kind to insist on this theme as a favor to me. She knows how I adore seeing her in white, it gives her eyes and skin such a glow." He smiled down at his princess. "I have hopes that her kindness will encompass wearing another white gown for me someday."

Lorelei's amber eyes grew misty and she looked up at Dragon with a genuine smile this time. Before she could confirm her willingness to do so the warrior mage frowned slightly at Katherine. "You look very…unique…this evening Lady Katherine." He said gallantly. His eyes flickered over her gown and then her hair and his brow furrowed a bit more. Then he seemed to recover and he smiled carefully again. "Very…nice." His smile brightened.

Katherine curtsied to Lorelei and smiled a bit nervously at Dragon and retreated to the ladies retiring room.

"Dragon!" Lorelei took a deep breath to control the giggles that threatened to bubble over. "You did that deliberately."

"Of course I did." Dragon told her. "I will not let her insult you by implying your gown and looks are anything other than excellent or that your judgement of a wonderful party is impaired. You are beautiful. You look exquisite and the party was exactly what your family needed. She got exactly what she deserved. My words were polite, truthful and to the point. It is not my fault if she read more into them than that."

"My black knight." Lorelei smiled lovingly. "You are just about as good at this as Sebastian or I." She observed.

"I can be when I choose to make the effort." Dragon grinned. "Most of the time, why bother?"

"Oh Dragon." Lorelei's smile widened to a grin. "Don't ever change."

He kissed her cheek and nodded towards Sebastian and Briar. "Look." He murmured. "She wrote a new song for him."

"He has a surprise for her as well." Lorelei whispered. "We should all enjoy this."

* * *

><p>Vidanalas watched Sebastian lead Briar to a slim chair before the orchestra. The prince's younger sister Asrai and her friend Faith came up to him and the princess grinned. "You'll like this." Asrai told him. "Sebastian has a surprise for Briar afterward."<p>

The bladesinger found himself smiling down at the child in spite of himself. She was such an endearing creature, sweet and gentle and kind. "I know I will." He told her bowing over her hand politely.

Briar struck a chord on her harp then and the room hushed.

"We were walking togther  
>You held my hand and smiled<br>Your smile, just for me.  
>I can't remember ever feeling this way.<p>

If I am dreaming, never let me wake.  
>If I am waking, never let me dream.<p>

A storm rages without  
>As we lie safe inside.<br>In your arms I am cherished  
>As I've never felt before<br>Your eyes hold such love and pride.

If I am dreaming, never let me wake.  
>If I am waking, never let me dream.<p>

I will give you every forever  
>I have within me.<br>You are in my heart always  
>A love that whispers<br>I can believe in eternity.

If I am dreaming, never let me wake.  
>If I am waking, never let me dream."<p>

Sebastian smiled as she looked at him and strode forward from the edge of her audience to take her hand and help her rise from the chair. "Stay here with me love." He murmured. "I have a surprise for you as well." He nodded to the orchestra and the violinist began to play. To Briar's surprise Sebastian kept hold of her hand and looking straight at her began to sing.

"Lying here with you  
>Listening to the rain<br>Smiling just to see the smile upon your face  
>These are the moments I thank God that I'm alive<br>These are the moments I'll remember all my life  
>I found all I've waited for<br>And I could not ask for more

Looking in your eyes  
>Seeing all I need<br>Everything you are is everything to me  
>These are the moments<br>I know heaven must exist  
>These are the moments I know all I need is this<br>I have all I've waited for  
>And I could not ask for more<p>

I could not ask for more than this time together  
>I could not ask for more than this time with you<br>Every prayer has been answered  
>Every dream I have's come true<br>And right here in this moment is right where I'm meant to be  
>Here with you here with me."<p>

Vidanalas blinked in shock as the warm tenor voice emerged and nearly smiled at how his daughters cheeks turned pink as the wealth of emotion in Sebastian's voice tugged at her heart. The elf listened in amazement as the foolish courtier proclaimed his love for Briar before the entire court and his family and hers.

"You're all I've waited for, and I could not ask for more..."

The prince's voice slowly faded off and the violin died away. He smiled down at her and bent down for a sweet gentle kiss. "Oh Sebastian." She whispered as his lips left hers. "Every time I think I have you figured out you do something so romantic it makes me want to cry."

Sebastian shook his head. "If you cry it will make the courtier's think you dislike my voice." He quipped. Briar gave a watery chuckle and allowed him to lead her away from the orchestra.

Vidanalas sighed a bit and shook his head. "What's wrong?" Asrai asked. "I know Sebastian wasn't trained as a bard, but he's not that bad."

The elf smiled slightly. "It is not his voice." He said quietly. "My daughter is in love with him."

"And that's a bad thing?" Faith asked in her husky voice. "He's a great guy."

Asrai nodded. "Sebastian is different from everyone else in our family. He's so much like our mother. But he knows how dangerous the court can be, especially to Briar." She looked over the crowd of courtiers to where her brother was standing. "He decided that he wanted to make sure they all knew his feelings for her. When Sebastian decides to do something, he does it as publicly as possible, so no one can renounce it. But other things, he keeps very private and none of us ever saw his heart until Briar came into his life."

Faith grinned. "I was working on something else for Asrai's dad for a few summers while she was home from school and I didn't get to see Sebastian much. But he really went nuts for a while." She glanced at Sabine. "No one disobeys Sabine. I mean, who's that suicidal? But Sebastian did because he wanted to spend time with Briar so much."

Asrai rolled her eyes. "And even after Mother sent Lorelei to retrieve him from Aeliara he tried to leave Suzail and return without permission because he missed her so much and she wasn't writing to him for a while."

Faith shuddered. "I'll be the first to admit I'm glad I wasn't around to witness the results of that."

Asrai nodded. "You wouldn't think it to look at her but Mother's even more dangerous than Father."

Vidanalas regarded the girl strangely and raised his eyebrows. "I beg your pardon?" He asked quietly. "You mean of the two of them you'd rather brave your father's wrath than your mother's?"

"You got it." Faith said bluntly. "And she's not the only one. I think the only one who isn't completely terrified when she's really angry is Sebastian. And even he gets really worried."

"Her majesty?" Vidanalas looked over at the woman who was standing on her husbands arm. "You're not have a joke at my expense?"

Asrai looked at him as if he were crazy. "Didn't you learn anything about our family before you came looking for Briar?" She asked.

"An etrielle whom I hold in great esteem queried me on my past." Vidanalas said quietly. "I came immediately afterward. I did not inquire of the local history before I made the journey."

Faith laughed. "Oh man, you're in for a shock then." She shook her head. "Not that anyone will tell you everything, but even what's public knowledge is…"

"A bit daunting." Asrai finished.

"Daunting?" The bladesinger repeated. "Do you mean her parentage, her personal history or her rank?"

"You don't believe us." Faith observed flatly. "You don't understand how someone as fragile looking and as beautiful as Queen Sabine could be at all dangerous or intimidating."

Asrai looked at the elf as if he were an idiot. "Then he's in for a real rude shock." She shook her head. "Faith, lets go make sure Andreas is all right."

"Oh yeah, he's been hiding out in his rooms for so long I want to make sure he isn't permanently blinded or something." Faith agreed.

Vidan watched them go and shook his head slowly. It was very difficult to believe, but the two of them had been so matter of fact about all of it. Mentally he resolved to speak with Merrila and her brothers the next day. He wondered exactly what it was about the queen that made her more frightening to her children than her husband.

* * *

><p>"We're all just concerned about him." Andreas halted outside his lover's door at the sound of his brother's voice. A surge of annoyance set his jaw as he heard Sebastian say. "I wouldn't ask you to repeat any private conversation, that is part of your relationship with Andreas and I would not wish to intrude." He paused delicately. "If you would simply let us know how he is." Andreas heard Sebastian sigh. "My brother is a good man, and I hate that this happened. He will be a great king someday." Determination put steel into Sebastian's voice. "But if this goes beyond mourning, if he needs help to deal with it, then we must know."<p>

Suddenly the doorknob twisted in Andreas' hand and the door pulled open to reveal Sebastian regarding his older brother with an ironic gleam in his eye. "You know if you listen at keyholes you'll never hear anything good of yourself." The younger prince drawled.

"You would know!" Andreas snapped and strode into the room. The lush red haired beauty received an absent kiss as he took a seat beside her.

"Yes but I do not expect to hear anything good of myself." Sebastian retorted. "Maggie please talk some sense into him. Or at least put him in a decent mood for lunch with the family today. As he is now he'll give us all indigestion."

"Sebastian mind your own business!" Andreas commanded sharply. "And stay out of my life."

"But my dear brother, if you would but think on it, you'll find this _is_ my 'business' and our lives are forever intertwined." Sebastian dropped his brother a mocking bow before he left the room. With a smile he wondered if Andreas realized that his lover was one of Sebastian's own cadre of assassin/spies. Andreas' tastes were varied when it came to women but constant was his enjoyment of intelligence and a sweet heart. Maggie was perfect for him and had no illusions nor any desire to be the next queen. Her affection for Andreas only made her better at her job. If necessary she would give her life for him.

* * *

><p>Briar glanced uneasily at Andreas who was now and then shooting irritated looks at Sebastian. His younger brother seemed blithely unconcerned and was eating with the true enjoyment of a man who had put in a good morning's work. "Why is Andreas looking at you like that?" She murmured her question finally.<p>

"He objected to how I was doing my job." Sebastian grinned at her unrepentantly.

Before Briar could say anything else a footman entered and handed two messages to Sebastian. All conversation ceased and his entire family and Briar's regarded him expectantly.

Sebastian read one of the messages with an expression of distaste and folded it up with a sigh.

"Well?" Lorelei prodded him.

"Well what?" Sebastian looked at her as if he hadn't a clue what she meant.

"What did it say?" Lorelei smiled too sweetly and tried not to grind her teeth.

"If you must know, Lord Halston wanted Briar and I to attend his soiree tonight. I shall have to send our regrets." Sebastian drawled.

He began to open the second parchment as his older sister muttered. "You're impossible. I don't know why I didn't drown you when you were little and annoying instead of putting up with you."

"Because on occasion I have my uses." He remarked absently as he devoured the words on the page. "For instance this tells me that Serek, Lord Serendal is being pursued outside Suzail." He looked up at Andreas. "Your requested escort is waiting."

Andreas rose with a grim look on his face and bowed to his parents.

"Where are you going?" Sabine asked coolly.

"Hunting." Andreas flatly replied.

"Your wound-" the queen began to object in concern but her husband laid a gentle hand over hers.

"He is well enough to do this." Amon told her firmly. "And I understand why he feels he must." His eyes were dark with the shadowed past and his queen nodded her understanding.

"Then be safe." She told her oldest son. "And may your hunt be successful."

Andreas took her hand and kissed it gently. "As my queen commands." A brief smile lit his face before being swallowed by grim purpose again as he strode out of the dining room.

"He'll be fine." Sebastian remarked. "Serek is the prey not the predator."

"He will not take well to such a reversal of roles." Briar concurred softly. Folding her napkin she rose excusing herself. When Sebastian made as if to accompany her she smiled a denial. "Stay with your family and finish your meal."

Vidan looked at Merrila curiously as Briar left. The two of them had become friends again, if not lovers and knew each other fairly well. "Why does she go?"

Merrila hesitated a moment knowing her daughter had not told Vidan her reasons for leaving Serendal. Finally she replied. "Briar cannot forget that the ones trying to destroy the royal family are her family as well. She is too aware that were it not for her, the Obarskyrs might still be untouched by this Blood Feud. She would not choose to give up her life but neither is she able to rejoice in her uncle's death."

"I do not understand." Vidan admitted. "Why would she blame herself for their actions. I can see no connection."

"That is obvious!" Sebastian snapped and then shook his head with a sigh. "My apologies. My Rose has been most distraught of late and I am…edgy as a result."

"You mean you want to set to rights what is bothering her." Lorelei commented. "You can't. You might try ceasing your efforts as Prince Fix-Everything Sebastian, and just keep her company. Not everything can be set right." She looked at Vidan. "You are right. You don't understand. You have the same problem as my brother. You want to fix everything. Your way. Have you ever listened to your daughter?"

Merrila smiled at the princess. "You are very observant your highness." She said in her sweet voice. "I had noted the same but I am afraid I have not sufficient…nerve to speak of it to these two men. They can be somewhat…overwhelming."

Lorelei turned a bit pink much to her family's amusement. "Please, among family titles are so burdensome. Will you call me Lorelei as your daughter does?"

Merrila nodded and her smile was pleased. "Thank you yes." She turned her glance toward Vidan. "Old friend, if you truly want to know your daughter, as more than simply your blood you will have to begin truly looking at her."

"Aye." Mory inserted his rumbling voice. "We've precious little in common we four." He nodded to his siblings. "One father between the lot of us and four different mothers. We chose to be a family. Our choice matters more than blood to us. You are her blood, but she hasn't chosen you as her father yet. You will have to prove to her that you would choose her for your daughter were she not of your blood."

Sebastian tilted his head and smiled almost sympathetically. "She does have a very effective way of excluding one from her life until she decides to allow one within it." He said recalling his long hellish wait for her to realize she loved him. "Briar has seen in my family, folk who are related by blood, who love each other and I think would still chose to be a family were our circumstances the same as hers. She makes a family for herself no matter what, through friends, her brother, her music."

"And how do I convince her of that?" Vidan wondered aloud. "She lets me see so little of who she is, beyond her avowed love of you," he nodded at Sebastian, "and her wonderful music."

"Well look at her for Lord and Lady's sake." Asrai blurted out.

"I thought you were more intelligent than that." Faith drawled. "But I guess not." She looked at Asrai. "Sorry to interrupt babe, go 'head."

"Look at her?" Vidan repeated and Asrai nodded emphatically.

"I mean look at her. She's beautiful, she could have anyone she wanted, but she loves Sebastian and doesn't trust any other man besides Dragon and her uncles, except maybe Andreas and Dad." Asrai pointed out. "Haven't you ever wondered about that?"

"Or were you just pleased she was displaying a proper reserve." Lorelei asked sarcastically. "You can see how much she loves her family. She was separated from them for more than two years. What did you think made her leave? She doesn't really like adventuring. She loves performing but not as much as just making music. Didn't you ever think to ask?"

"She went white as a ghost when her Uncle Serek and Ljosa walked into court." Dragon said in his slow sepulchral voice. "She was terrified of them. And they accused her of murder and illegal dueling. Briar isn't a coward, nor is she one to carelessly break the laws. Didn't you even question the reason for her fear, or why she would have killed her cousin?"

"Or did you simply see her and her resemblance to yourself. And then you heard her music, and saw she was a sweet loving girl. And you didn't care to look any further?" Merrila asked softly. "My brothers and I taught her a great deal. Mory can attest to her skill with the rapier and dagger. She is nothing less than brilliantly gifted with a sword, just as she is in music. And no one noticed that Briar was also a Rose until she was fifteen. And not long after she left Serendal. You wonder why she won't let you in her life, why she does not confide in you."

"You do not like that she loves the young prince here." Mory observed. "I didn't like him much either when I first met him, but I was burdened with the preconceived notion that he'd killed Briar. I felt I was justified in my dislike." Sebastian grinned at the big man and the blond warrior rolled his eyes. "It took me less than a day, and seeing Briar alive again, to be convinced I was wrong. You're a lot smarter than I am Vidan, what is your excuse?"

Vidan looked at Sebastian. "Well? Do you not have a comment to make? Something to drawl out in that exceedingly annoying tone?" He asked coldly.

Sebastian rose and smiled coldly. "I really don't think there is anything I can add to that." He bowed respectfully to Merrila and her brothers. "If you will excuse me, I believe I will go and keep Briar company, and not play 'fix-it'." He winked at Lorelei in thanks and kissed his mother on his way out, giving his father an affectionate tap on the shoulder.

**TBC**

* * *

><p><em>Author's Note: Briar's song is an original poem, but Sebastian's is a great song performed by both Edwin McCain and Sara Evans. Both are awesome performances but the lyrics are (as always) what grab my attention. Hope you enjoyed.<em>


	13. Chapter 13

**Vows of Blood and Honor**

* * *

><p>Vidan regarded Merrila with a dark gaze. "Well I was certainly put in my place wasn't I." He remarked ironically. "Do you mind telling me something?"<p>

"Something?" Merrila placidly set another stitch into the blouse she was embroidering. The sun gleamed on her hair as she sat on a delicate couch before the window. Her brothers were in the lower courtyard sparring as was their custom to work off the meal they'd eaten. Sebastian along with Briar had been persuaded to join them after the prince and bard had spent an hour or so alone.

"I will not ask about Rosaleen and why she left." Vidanalas held up his hands in mock surrender. "I wish to hear of that from her." He took a seat opposite her in a curve legged armchair. "The youngest daughter, Asrai and her friend Faith made a few comments at the dance the other night that piqued my curiosity."

"Regarding?" Merrila looked up at him quizzically and then back down at her embroidery.

"Regarding Asrai's mother." The elf said in a puzzled tone. "They seemed to think that it was preferable to face the king's anger than deal with the queen when she is angry."

"And it is." Merrila said calmly. "What would you like to know?" She asked him.

"Why that would be so." The black panther on Vidan's arm stretched as he flexed his fingers restlessly.

"I don't know very much." The woman said quietly. "Only what rumors were making rounds back when the prince was younger and he first came to Cormyr to stay. And I will not speculate for her Majesty is my hostess and it would be the rudest of turns to serve her so." She sighed. "There are dozens of stories of their youth, so many terrible things happened." The half elven lady looked at him. "What do you know of them?"

"So little as to amount to nothing of their history." Vidan admitted. "I have never paid attention to who ruled human lands, only to enough of the law that I might travel freely. What king was on the throne never mattered to me."

"The king was fifteen years old when he was declared Heir to the throne of Cormyr." Merrila said slowly, separating fact from fiction in her mind as she spoke. "Queen Alusair was our ruler then, and I was just a girl. The Second Time of Troubles had wiped out much of Cormyr's noble lineage and his Majesty would never have been in line for the throne if not for that." She sighed.

Vidan looked at her with a curious gleam in his eye but forbore questioning her. Merrila continued quietly. "Prince Amon was to journey from the Western Heart to Suzail. Along the way, his ship was attacked and a fire ball blew it to bits. He credited the Lady Sabine DeWinter with saving his life. She pulled him from the water and though she didn't know how to swim, managed to keep him alive and got him to shore." Merrila's voice was dry. "The prince was somehow retrieved along with the Lady Sabine and taken to Suzail, but they were jailed by the very ones who should have aided them."

The elf blinked in surprise and she nodded grimly. "When they managed to escape they crashed the party being thrown to celebrate his arrival and exposed an imposter who was imitating him with the intention of assassinating the queen." She shook her head wearily. "Nobles who had been exiled from Cormyr were behind the attack."

"Sweet Maiden." Vidan's shocked expletive was barely more than a whisper.

"Not surprisingly it was said the prince and queen didn't trust very many after that. But the prince refused to be separated from the Lady Sabine. He felt he could trust her, since she'd saved his life." Merrila set another careful stitch. "He named her his personal bard. He toured the country getting to know the land." Vidan grimaced. The king had mentioned as much to him.

Merrila sighed. "There was an attack by Malar forces, and his Majesty led the offensive against them. He was brilliant, and at the end the Malar leader was left, he killed one man, was making his way to his Majesty and a dagger in the eye stopped him." She looked at the elf. "It has been speculated that her majesty might have skills other than her music. Her father tutored her in swordplay, both she and her husband."

Vidan regarded her seriously. "But that does not explain why her children would fear her anger more than their father's." He pointed out.

Merrila shrugged. "Many things happened before Amon became king. The war which resulted in the elves retaking the Cormanthor. There was a magical attack and Sabine disappeared and only returned when she was great with her husbands child and Amon near death on a battlefield." She regarded her embroidery critically. "But I have seen myself, how the young Obarskyrs love their parents." She set another stitch and tied off the bright thread. "It is said among the Purple Dragons that if you rouse the king's rage, you will fear for your life, but not your throat. But if you truly see wrath in the queens eyes, you will be dead before you can begin to fear. Among the nobility and courtiers they say that if you anger the king, you and the entire country will hear of it. But if you anger the queen, no one in the entire country will hear of you again."

She looked up at Vidan. "In the time I have known her, I have never heard her voice raised in anger. I have never seen her be anything other than kind and polite to everyone, including the servants here. No matter how dangerous she is believed to be, she is a true lady, in every sense of the word."

"Her father is the elf Elaith Craulnober." Vidanalas said thoughtfully. "He is not an evil man, but he is accorded respect in nearly every circle he travels, including those that are less than savory."

Merrila shrugged. "So now you know a bit of the history of our king and queen. And I'm sure there is a great deal more to them than the stories that I heard. All I know for certain is that those two have been near inseparable since they first met unless forcibly parted. They love each other very much."

Vidan nodded still considering the queen and her daughters words.

* * *

><p>The elf wandered down to the lower courtyard hoping he could catch a glimpse of his daughter at practice. He was fortunate enough to do so, but she was not with her uncles as he supposed. Instead she and Sebastian were having a duel. The elf's eyes narrowed. The prince's skill was not the absentminded sort of a dilettante. He was focused, intensely so, and very good with the blade he bore.<p>

"Sebastian." Briar said impatiently. "You wanted to learn how to use a rapier so we could fight with each other's weapons if need be, now pay attention."

"I am paying attention love." Sebastian grinned at her. "Just to more than one thing is all."

His lover smiled coldly and in a move like lightening disarmed him and put her sword to his throat. "If you don't pay attention to just this one thing, you will end up getting killed. Now I am doing my best to learn how to use the long sword. At least do the same with the rapier."

Sebastian sighed. "Dearest, I am doing my best. But the habits of the better part of my life are bloody difficult to break." He murmured. "Especially when I become aware of a larger audience than you know of." Briar's eyes flickered brighter green and he nodded delicately pushing the point of her blade away from his Adam's apple. "Shall we call it done for the day?"

Briar shook her head. "Father come out where I can see you." She shouted and smiled slightly. "You're distracting my partner."

Vidan obliged her by entering the courtyard and standing by the doorway. "Will it bother you if I observe?" He asked politely.

"Not me." Briar shrugged. "I'm used to a very critical audience." She threw a look at her uncle Mory who was still watching. Sebastian shrugged his indifference and picked up the rapier he had lost. "Now then, en garde!" Briar shouted and the practice commenced again.

When it was over both Sebastian and Briar were sweating. "Tomorrow…" Sebastian wheezed and held up a hand as he tried to catch his breath. "Tomorrow, we fight with rapier's first, and then with long swords afterward. If we switch off, we should get an equal workout with both blades."

Briar nodded panting a bit herself. "Yes." She agreed. "I need a lot more work before I'm near good enough with the sword." She groaned and stretched to keep her muscles from tightening. "I lost track of how many times you disarmed me, and poked me to show me where my guard was down."

"For two warriors who have fought too long with one weapon you're both doing very well." Mory pointed out. "It's the best workout you could have, teaching another your own weapon. You learn twice as much about it yourself."

Briar nodded. "Though I don't have your patience Uncle." She commented. "I'm not a good teacher. Thank the gods Sebastian is quick to catch on, I think I'd kill him if he didn't."

"You mean you're not trying to?" Sebastian quipped. "Thank the gods for that!" He chuckled and mopped off his face throwing a fluffy towel to Briar as well.

"Well Vidan, what did you think of Briar's skill." Mory asked with understandable pride in the girl whom he'd taught much. "She's had some private tutoring of late, with some of the best." He tugged at the long black braids. "Getting too good for me."

"She does your teachings proud." Vidan said quietly. "But I can see that you are both weary. I hope I may talk with you later…Rose, when you are feeling more refreshed." He nodded politely to the two men and pressed a delicate kiss to Briar's smudged white knuckles. As she nodded her assent he turned and departed.

* * *

><p>As was their custom of late, the Obarskyrs and their children along with Dragon, Briar and Vidan gathered in the family's sitting room for a while before they entered the Court. Briar's mother and uncles also gathered with them though they would not be attending Court. Andreas still hadn't returned and though Lorelei tried to hide it she was visibly worried for her brother.<p>

"He'll be all right dear." Sabine said quietly. "He's with a company of soldiers."

"Men!" Lorelei said derisively. "They're all idiots, what do they know about avoiding harm?" She looked up at Dragon who was manfully restraining his laughter at her irate remark. "Oh sure, go ahead and laugh. You're a man too." She snapped childishly.

"As I recall you were very pleased about that at one point." Dragon retorted gently. He wrapped an arm around her and dropped a kiss on her head. "If you like you may certainly throw taunts in my direction sweetheart, I'm able to deal with them." He pressed a kiss to her cheek and whispered. "But I'll retaliate in a way that is guaranteed to frustrate us both."

Lorelei made a face at him and wiggled closer. "Just keep distracting me like this and I'll behave myself." She murmured.

Sabine glanced at Amon and smiled slightly though her own eyes were darker with concern. "There has not been any further word?" She asked Sebastian turning to regard him.

"None." Sebastian said soberly from where he sat with Briar on the settee. "But in this situation, the only reports likely to be sent would be telling of Serek's continued escape. No news is good news in a way."

He looked as if he might have said more but his attention and his mother's turned to the door expectantly. A moment later Andreas entered the room.

The Crown Prince was still in the clothing he had left in, dirty and sweat-stained. His hands and face were dusty, making the lines around his eyes and mouth seem deeper, as if he had aged ten years in an afternoon. The cloak he customarily wore hunting, a sturdy garment of dark green was ripped and smeared with blood. Without preamble he told them. "Serek is dead."

Lorelei looked at her twin and smiled almost sadly. She could tell without looking that it had been Andreas who had made certain of that grim fact. Sebastian simply nodded his satisfaction and like his mother seemed to leave it at that.

"Did you-" Asrai began to ask but closed her mouth abruptly biting off her words as Andreas turned his dark gaze towards her. "Never mind." She shook her head.

Briar stood and politely excused herself for a moment passing the prince on the way out. In a soft voice meant for only he to hear she murmured. "I am sorry Andreas." She looked up and eyes like the depths a forest at midnight met his own dark gaze. "I know, it is not an easy thing, to kill, at times." The older man looked at her and saw how her own, necessary, execution of her cousin still haunted her at times.

The prince nodded abruptly and she continued on past him. Lorelei rose from her chair determinedly and went forward to take her brother's arm. "You're a mess." She declared. "Come on and let's get you ready for court. If we hurry you can be ready by the time Briar returns."

"Court?" Andreas echoed in disbelief and most of his family nodded their affirmative.

"Yes, court." His twin told him. "No matter what happened today, or yesterday, life goes on. We have to get on with it. And court, dear twin, no matter how distasteful at times, is an unavoidable part of life."

"Life goes on." Andreas looked at his father as he murmured the words.

"It must." Amon nodded and his understanding smile also had a touch of command.

Andreas shrugged. "Fine. You pick out my 'attire'." He told his sister. "Try to get too fancy on me and I swear I'll walk into Court naked before I wear it."

Lorelei gave him a look and then leered at him. "Do not tease!" She gasped. "I know several ladies within the court who would love to see such a sight! It might help answer some of their questions about a certain nickname my twin has with the ladies of the court." In spite of himself Andreas blushed and then chuckled as he allowed his twin to lead him off.

As the door closed behind them Asrai leaned weakly against Faith. "Whew, me and my big mouth." She muttered.

Faith laughed in her throaty way and gave the girl a squeeze. "Cheer up babe, your sister managed to distract him as neatly as I've ever seen."

"You must get it from your grandmother." Sabine smiled fondly. "Her family called her the chatterbox." For a moment her eyes were far away as she thought of the mother she'd barely known.

Briar reentered the room then and stood before Sebastian, her slim fingers toying with his curls. A curious smile touched her face as she played with his hair and the prince looked up wondering what she was thinking. His hands circled her waist and gently pulled her down into his lap. "What were you thinking with that cute little smile?" He asked softly.

"Hmm…" Briar smiled up at him. "I was wondering what you looked like when you were little. And I wondered if your own baby would have curls like yours." The smile that curved her lips was sweet and her eyes dreamy as she rested her head against his shoulder.

Sebastian took a deep breath and wrapped his arms around her, ignoring the audience of her family and his own. An unbelievably sweet joy pounded his heart and made him feel even more possessive, that this was his Rose, his love. It was shocking and wonderful to hear that she wondered what his children would be like. And it gave him hope that she would agree to be with him forever.

"As I recall Sebastian hated his curly hair as a child." Amon commented to his wife in an amused voice, trying to pitch his remarks low enough that he did not break the tender aura which suddenly seemed to surround his so very practically inclined son.

"Yes." Sabine chuckled richly. "I caught him with one of my daggers giving himself a hair cut when he was six. He didn't cut himself once, amazingly enough, but he was incredibly frustrated because he couldn't get rid of his curls."

Sebastian looked up. "I remember that." He grinned at his mother and looked at Briar. "She was mad that I had her dagger at first. And then she nearly cried when she saw what I'd done to myself. I looked ridiculous I'm told."

"Good grief." Briar shook her head. "You must have been an impossible child."

Amon laughed at that recalling the time he'd caught Sebastian scaling the palace wall in Suzail. "He is extremely like his mother, and seemed to aspire to be as skilled as she was in all things." He shook his head. "Remind me to tell you one of these days when we have more time."

"I'm going to take you up on that." Briar grinned at the king. "I suspect he had an adventurous childhood."

"That doesn't say half of it." The king groaned in recollection and looked at his wife. "And you just encouraged him." He said in mock accusation.

Sabine laughed. "He is my son. What else could I do?"

**TBC**


	14. Chapter 14

**Vows of Blood and Honor**

* * *

><p>Sebastian crumpled the latest message in his fist and threw it into the fire. Throwing himself into an armchair he glared at the flames as if personally offended.<p>

"Bad news?" Vidanalas unbent enough to inquire. The elf was patiently transcribing some elven music to parchment for his daughter as she watched curiously. Briar looked up at Sebastian with a concerned gaze.

Sebastian sighed. "The latest in a long line of near misses." He said obliquely. When the two of them simply continued to look at him he shook his head. "It has been two weeks. So far the only certain news we have of Loren Serendal is that we haven't caught her. Raden's people are working on it, but the woman is damnably elusive."

"They have no notion as to her whereabouts?" Briar asked softly.

"They know where she isn't." Sebastian said dryly. "She is not in plain sight that's for certain." Briar looked down at her flute and said nothing. Sebastian rose abruptly and kissed her firmly on the mouth. "I've had enough of this." He said firmly. "I've given Raden's people long enough. He'll have to bring a war wizard or two in to help out. Maybe magically they can locate what simple eyes cannot." His hand smoothed a wisp of hair back from her forehead. "I'm sorry for this delay." The prince said quietly. "I know it is difficult for you and for my family as well. And I intend to do something about it." He nodded to Vidan and strode purposefully from the room.

"He seems quite different." Vidan noted offhandedly as he made another notation on his parchment.

"Not to me." Briar fingered on her harp strings the notes he'd written and nodded her satisfaction.

"I had not seen him so focused and sober before." Her father framed his words carefully.

"Perhaps you were not willing to look at him." Briar suggested softly. "He has ever been thus. He takes what he does very seriously."

"And what does he do?" Vidan asked finally looking at his daughter.

"I can't tell you." She smiled and shrugged. "It is for him to say. You may learn of it in time, but no one speaks directly of Sebastian's duties for the crown." She hesitated a moment and then said firmly. "And if this insults you I am sorry for it, but if you value my company at all you will not breathe a word of any suspicion, theory or knowledge you have. I have caused enough harm to he and his family, I will not have any other relation of mine causing more."

Vidan looked at her and was amazed at how cold and cruel her face looked. Her resolve was absolute. Clearly she would cut all connections with him if he did anything she believed would endanger the prince. "I understand." He said quietly. "And I will say nothing. But if I may ask, how have you caused harm to his family? I can see nothing you have done that could be construed as such."

Briar looked down at the harp she held and her slender fingers slid along the strings. "I lived." She said simply. "Sometimes that is enough."

Vidan repressed the urge to roll his eyes. The girl could be as close-mouthed and mysterious as any sage. "All right, then why did you leave Serendal?" He asked finally, reasoning there was some connection between why she left and her noble uncle's unreasoning attack on the Obarskyrs.

"That is a long story." His daughter said faintly.

When it became clear she was not going to elaborate Vidan cleared his throat. "I have the time." He said gently. "I wish you would confide in me. It might help me to understand why you are here."

Briar looked at him and shook her head slowly. "I suppose, had I grown up as his equal, or at least being seen as feminine, then it might never have happened." She shrugged. "But I'll never know." She set her harp down carefully before her suddenly trembling hands could snap a string. "Because I am a bastard, I have no status save that which I earn, and my uncles in trying to help me win a place for myself at Serendal, raised me as a warrior." Her smile was wry. "You'd never know it to look at me, as I am now. That is greatly due to my prince's influence."

Vidan regarded her with a slightly astounded gaze but said nothing, simply nodding so that she would go on.

The bard smiled slightly. "Uncle Mory was determined that in addition to my other skills I learn the broadsword. I was not very good at it, it was so different from my other blades you see." Her eyes seemed to gaze into the past as she spoke. "But my mother came to talk with me, and we spoke of you, and your skill with the blade and what you were like then. And I came out of that conversation determined to show my uncles that I was not only a warrior. Every moment I wasn't working at becoming a warrior I had spent on my music. I had the flute you'd left behind, and a harp from my mother's mother."

She looked down and folded her hands in her lap for lack of anything better to do with them. "I came down to dinner that evening, for the first time, in a gown, with my hair loose and afterward I played the harp and then left. Everyone was astounded." Her smile was dry. "Later it was said that no one remembered Briar was also a Rose until that evening. I had always worn loose breeches and tunics with hoods, clothing easy to practice in and comfortable. My mother was the only one who noticed my looks enough to think me beautiful. And that night she began to worry."

Briar took a deep breath. "With reason apparently." She looked her father in the eye. "The heir to Serendal, Saldan, began pursuing me, with the intention of bedding me. I had no one of rank to speak for me, my only protection was never being alone with him."

"Surely his parents would have…" Vidanalas began to ask but her bitter laugh cut him off.

"His parents? Lady give me strength!" She said harshly. "I was trying to avoid him one day and overheard his parents discussing the 'situation'. The conclusion was that they would claim my elven blood made me wild and that I was a loose female. They were planning to marry me off to some lech of a lord who was always eager for a hot blooded woman. In the meantime, they had no intention of interfering with their son's interest in me. After all, they were sure I had long since lost my maidenhead, I was a bastard of a bastard, with no name to protect and always among the men anyway." Her dark green gaze was nearly black with the pain and anger of the remembered words.

"Oh, sweet Maiden!" Vidan swore softly with a terrible intensity. "Would that I had known of you! I am so sorry daughter… I wish I could have had you with me."

The smile that twisted his child's lips was bittersweet. "But you did not." She said simply. "I left Serendal because not long after that, Saldan did catch me alone. He tried to rape me." She shuddered as she said it and Vidan abandoned his chair across from her and sat down beside her on the chaise. Strong protective arms were wrapped around her, warming and calming her. "I managed to fight him off." She whispered. "And ran, grabbing my blades, to Mory. I swore I would duel with Saldan, but before I could challenge him, he challenged me. His pride was hurt because I refused him." She shuddered again. "I won. It was only to first blood but he kept coming until I laid open his face with my blade and he was forced to stop or die. The duel was over, but his father was right behind me, and he ordered me confined to my room until a suitable punishment could be determined."

Her cold hands rose to her face and she shook her head. "I didn't wait to see what he had in mind. I escaped out my window and over the keep's wall. My uncle Mory saw me and got a pack ready for me with my weapons. I already had the few belongings I possessed in an old pack from an ancient trunk stored in my room. Mory made sure I had food and blankets in a sturdy satchel and arrows as well as my bow and blades. And he left a gelding tethered for me in a meadow not far away. He told me to travel through the night and into the next evening if I could, to get as far away as possible before I stopped." Her sweet voice was harsh with remembered grief. "I thought for certain I'd never see him again."

"Oh, my dear child." Vidan murmured into her hair. "If I could bear your pain I would, anything to spare you the torture of the memories." Tears were in his eyes as he held his daughter, so thankful he'd finally learned of her and that she had been strong enough to fight the fate her noble relations had planned for her."

"Its all right." Briar tried to smile. "The inn I stopped at held my brother. When a soldier from Serendal showed up looking for me he used magic to distract the man and helped me escape, for the sake of my music I think. He and I went on an adventure on behalf of the Knights of Twilight and ended up in Sanctuary." Warmth from the memories seeped into her previously sorrowful voice. "I couldn't bring myself to truly trust him, or any man really, until after a battle." She smiled. "The magical harp I used was so powerful it might have driven me completely mad, but Dragon broke it from my hands and watched me night and day. I lost my mind, my sight and my voice for almost a month. But when I was coming out of it finally, I could hear Dragon, pleading with our goddess, pledging anything to the Dark Ladies, if only his sister was not forever lost to him. He was holding my hand to his face and I could feel his tears on my skin."

The wonder and affection that filled her voice when she spoke of her brother was heartwarming to the elf. He listened as she explained how she'd finally begun to trust Dragon completely and how the two of them were semi retired agents for the Knights now. "We came to Aeliara because it has a reputation as a city that is devoted to knowledge and art. And Dragon wanted a place of beauty for me to rest and build my reputation as a bard. I was already known as The Black Rose, not by my real name, and he would make me go invisible after each performance. No one ever saw me as a female except onstage. Offstage I was always a boy, Briar by name."

"I cannot believe that." Vidan pulled back to look her in the eye. "No one could tell you were a woman?" His look was incredulous.

Briar shook her head. "Father, I was only sixteen when we came to Aeliara. And I was never seen as female by anyone. I was very good at playing the boy, though Dragon was convinced the disguise couldn't last forever, and that it wasn't good for me to hide who I was all the time. But I was too aware that Serek may well have put a price on my head, I didn't want to be known as Rosaleen Dhu."

Vidan regarded her with an ironic gleam. "Truly there are some very unobservant folk in this city." He kissed her forehead. "Your reputation as a bard is such that it impresses even the elven ambassador." He noted. "So you were successful in that respect."

"But not in keeping who I was secret." Briar grinned. "Sebastian came to a performance one night… He was the most beautiful man I'd ever seen. I actually looked at him, when I never looked at men, never." She shook her head. "I distrusted and despised noblemen. Since Saldan had tried to rape me I kept everyone but Dragon at a distance. Sebastian discovered that Briar and the Black Rose were the same girl with annoying ease." She said wryly. "And he sent a note, asking for a private performance after he had attended my performance with his uncle Anakin the night before. I was astounded and terrified that Prince Sebastian wished to hear my music. And even more afraid when he wanted to know my name. I panicked."

Vidan listened in amazement as Briar told him of the events of that year. The bard Malachi and his manipulations. Sebastian's enemy at court who tried to have her killed. Her own refusal to trust in Sebastian and reluctant acceptance of his friendship. His unfailing courtesy to her and unswerving desire to be more than friends. And finally, learning the truth of what was going on when the queen came to visit her. And also learning that she was in love with Sebastian.

"I began to trust him." Briar said softly. "By the time I performed at the Rose, I could admit that I loved him. I trusted him, but I was not ready for so much. I had never thought beyond admitting that I loved him finally. Sebastian never tried to push for more than I was able to give." She looked up at her father. "When Saldan came to Aeliara and began to plot with two others to remove me from Sebastian's favor it was as if a nightmare had come to life while I was awake. They used magic to make it appear I was being unfaithful to Sebastian." Vidan's face grew colder as he wished he could have a moment alone with the lordling of Serendal.

His daughter smiled slightly. "What they did not count on was that Sebastian while declaring his affection in public, never did anything hastily, and it is not in his nature to air dirty laundry before the court." She remembered the day he'd come to confront her and her smile was sad and sweet. "My love's secret fear was that I loved him for his title and wealth, and not for himself. So when he saw the illusions, he came to me and demanded to know why I had not simply broken with him if I did not love him anymore. I didn't know what was going on, I hadn't ever been with anyone, not even him, so intimately and I was shocked that he could believe such a thing."

"That foolish, self important young puppy-" Vidan began and Briar laid a hand over his mouth.

"Father, you don't understand." She said softly. "He loves me, loved me then, even though his eyes were forcing him to believe, his heart kept crying out that it couldn't be true. That I loved him as he loved me and that I couldn't betray him. He was anguished and heartbroken at the thought that I didn't love him anymore but I wouldn't break with him because I enjoyed his consequence and wealth." She smiled. "But even in such a state, he came to me, privately and demanded to know what was going on. And he saw that he couldn't have seen me in my apartment windows, because my apartment doesn't face the street. And he begged my forgiveness for his words."

She took her hand away from his mouth. "I doubted him often, in those early days, when he was so bent on protecting me that he spread wild rumors about himself so no one would believe I mattered. If I was inconsequential, just a casual acquaintance then why bother to hurt me." She rolled her eyes. "Later he had me declared his personal bard as a way of protecting me with his own consequence." She shook her head. "The important thing to me, was that he still was in love with me, still needed and wanted me even though he had to believe I'd betrayed him."

"What of that story I heard though of him accusing you of being a whore before the entire royal court?" Vidan asked tightly.

"It was an act, just like me being dead was an act, to draw out the conspirators and incidentally, we learned then that Saldan was in Aeliara." Briar explained. "And thanks mostly to Sebastian we managed to learn who all three of the courtiers were, and the other two gave up Saldan. He had begun to fix his attentions on Princess Morgana, and she knew instantly that there was something terribly wrong with him. When we learned who he was that bothered her so much, well, Sebastian had always intended to kill Saldan when he finally got hold of him."

"But Serek accused you of murder, not Sebastian." Vidan noted.

"Yes." Briar nodded her agreement. "You see, Sebastian left me with his uncle Anakin, to hide me until he could catch Serek. But Anakin was awake one night and heard me having a nightmare. I had terrible ones once I learned Saldan was nearby. He told Sebastian, who snuck into Lord Craulnober's house and woke me up. He said that since I obviously didn't feel safe that he would stay with me so that I could sleep. He held me the entire night."

Vidan closed his eyes in a pained expression. "Please, daughter… I still have a difficult time dealing with the way he touches you, must you tell me this?"

"YES!" Briar retorted loudly. "I must." She pulled back from him and folded her arms angrily. "Can't you tell?" She regarded him scornfully. "Sebastian held me, and finally got me to relax, and made me feel loved and safe. And he never, ever did anything I didn't want him to do." Her dark eyes flashed green sparks at her father. "I am still a maid. I spend my nights in my love's arms, and we hold each other. And we touch and love, but he has never completely possessed me." She looked at him. "Do you have any idea how difficult it was once, for me to let him even kiss me? Until the night after The Rose, he had only kissed me once. And after that even, he was so careful, so gentle with me. He didn't want to frighten me, or worry me with how much he wanted me. And because he was so gentle, so loving and patient…"

She shook her head with tears in her eyes suddenly, unsure whether they were from anger or sorrow. "I've never been afraid of him, not of his touch, or that he would hurt me physically, or try to seduce me against my will." She tossed her head. "Yes, he woke me to passion, and taught me so much of how wonderful it can be to love a man. But he promised me, that first night when I admitted I loved him, that he wouldn't take my virginity until I gave it to him wholeheartedly. Not in the heat of desire, or guilt for depriving him, but because I wished to give him my body with all my heart." She sighed suddenly. "He told me once he would wait forever if he had to. Because he loves me." Her eyes met her father's gaze, so like her own. "I believe him. I trust him. And I love him with all my heart. I will not be ashamed or try to hide the fact that I enjoy his touch. He makes me glad that I am a woman, instead trying to hide it behind a performer's mask or a boy's guise. He makes me proud of who I am."

"And you do not mind the way he treats you?" Vidan asked. "I see him give you clothing and jewels, the way lordlings fling such trinkets at their light ladies, and I wish to strangle him for thinking of you that way."

"Father, you have it all wrong." Briar shook her head. "Sebastian is a courtier, and part of being a courtier is providing your lady with appropriate garments and occasionally jewels. When we first met I didn't want anything from him, I feared being perceived as a kept woman. So I do understand what you are saying." She smiled dreamily. "But knowing he loves me… He takes such delight in giving me gowns that he knows will suit my coloring, or convincing me that I could wear pale colors as well as dark." She rolled her eyes. "He gets carried away because he enjoys giving me gifts. And jewels…he knows that the court will believe me to be out of favor if I don't show up with a new necklace once in a while. And he does delight in draping them around my neck." She looked up at him. "His motivation in giving the gifts is what makes the difference for me. But his delight in my beauty, in my being his lady, makes me feel so wonderful and happy that I am a girl. He loves me. Truly loves me. Can you not accept that?"

"At first it was very difficult to do so." Vidan admitted. "He did so well at pretending to be a fool. And I was jealous that you loved him so much, you did not seem to need me at all." He raised her hands to his lips. "Now, it is easier to see that he is in love with you, and that you are deeply in love with him. I am honored that you finally told me how you came to do so. And I am thankful that you are alive."

"Its due in no small part to Sebastian that I am alive." Briar told him. "Saldan would have found me and finished what he tried to start, and then he would have killed me." She shuddered. "Sebastian tried to protect me once too often. He would have dueled with Saldan himself, but he told me his intention. When I insisted that I would be the one to kill Saldan, he locked me in our room." An impish smile tilted her lips. "But I climbed down a rope off the balcony and got out through the library below. I had a hard time of it convincing him to let me duel, but he finally agreed."

"What did you say to him?" Vidan asked curiously. "From what I have seen he is at least as stubborn as you my dear."

"I told him that I had to, I had to finish it." Briar said softly. "How could I be free of the nightmares if I did not?" She sighed. "And he pulled me into his arms and held me until it was time to begin the duel. He was so afraid I would be hurt, but he understood I had to do it."

"Yes." Vidan nodded. "Like myself now. I am terrified that he will hurt you somehow, but I finally see that you must follow your heart."

"Love makes us vulnerable Father." Briar told him gently. "But our vulnerability makes us strong."

"You truly are a bard." The elf smiled. "You have a way with words."

**TBC**


	15. Chapter 15

**Vows of Blood and Honor**

* * *

><p>Dragon patiently held still as Lorelei sketched him. He couldn't quite understand her fascination with capturing his image but she loved drawing him so much that he would sit for hours if she liked. This morning she was being rather fanciful, showing him what she thought he'd look like in different costumes.<p>

"Dragon are you sure you don't mind this?" Lorelei looked up at him in concern.

The warrior mage smiled and shook his head. "I don't understand the urge you have to sketch me, but I don't mind it at all. It is so rare we have a quiet moment together." An ironic gleam shone in his black eyes. "You and I seem to quarrel a great deal, have you noticed?"

Lorelei laughed and shook her head. "Us? Fight?" She asked. "Why Nwyfan, whatever can you mean?" She rolled her eyes. "I think that you and I are so used to verbally sparring with each other…" She paused thoughtfully regarding the sketch she had drawn. "Before it was a way to make sure we both kept our distance even if it did sometimes feel like…"

"As if we were courting with words?" Dragon's smile was warm and wicked. "I admit I was definitely trying to impress you."

"And I you." She grinned back at him. "Showing off for you." She drew her pencil down the paper and blew the excess charcoal dust away. "We still do that I think…"

"Only now its different." Dragon said thoughtfully. His face was inscrutable.

"Yes…" Lorelei said very slowly. "On my part I know I fight with you because I want you so badly…getting angry, letting anger and arguing with you exhaust me, it helps me to sleep at night sometimes."

"I had wondered if you would admit that was part of your motivation for some of the truly ridiculous quarrels we've had in the past few weeks." Dragon's rasping voice was teasing. "I know a great deal of frustration on my part has been a bit of the force behind my reciprocation." He shot a look at the door and rose from his chair to kneel beside her own. His brown hand slid beneath the soft knot of hair at her nape and gently but firmly gripped her neck.

Tall as Dragon was, kneeling he was on a level with Lorelei sitting in her chair, and she had received the full force of heat in his obsidian gaze and felt the warmth of his body radiating outward as he pulled her mouth closer to his.

The delighted gasp of shock as his lips touched her own was quickly lost as Dragon once again firmly and thoroughly claimed her mouth. The cool precise princess was again banished as Lorelei responded with abandon to the coaxing demand of her Dragon's desire for her. Heat spiraled through her, as his lips and tongue explored her mouth and her hands let her artists tools fall so she could push her hands into the heavy darkness of his hair.

Dragon groaned in his throat and released her mouth, pressing kisses over her cheek and down her neck. His tongue stroked the curve and tip of her ear and his other hand slid around her waist in a possessive hot grip. "Oh, my siren." He murmured against the skin of her collar bone. "Tell me to stop." He implored her.

"Nwyfan…" Lorelei could barely speak as she drowned in the rising tide of need and sensation. "Oh, no, I can't…" she whispered, her soft lips brushing over his skin, the faint bristle of his whiskers abrading them delightfully. "Never stop please…" she breathed.

"My Lorelei." Dragon found himself reveling in her hands on his hair and neck, and in how she responded to his touch. His mouth moved over her pale graceful neck and he groaned in his throat. "Please, you must… I cannot stop myself… I need you too badly."

"I don't want to." Lorelei murmured before his mouth met hers again in a hot explosion of desire that drew a trembling moan out of her throat. The two of them were lost in that kiss, deep and sweet and hot, wonderfully, hopelessly lost. If an assassin had entered the room they would have been dead.

The hand that came down and grasped Dragon's shoulder, pushing him away from the princess and separating them far enough that they could not immediately resume the embrace did not belong to an enemy luckily for them.

Dragon looked up through lust hazed eyes to see the Crown Prince glaring down at him with a mixture of astonishment and displeasure. The warrior's hand which had instantly gone to his sword fell again and he took a ragged breath. "Sweet maiden!" Dragon swore without reservation.

"Exactly what did you think you were doing?" Andreas asked his friend icily as his gaze took in his twin sister's flushed face, swollen mouth and tumbled hair.

"I think the proper term is 'getting carried away'." Dragon rasped, his breathing still harsh with desire. His hot gaze swept over Lorelei and she looked at him and a tiny smile touched her lips. He knew she would not regret enjoying his kisses, nor was she sorry that he was not able to stop. He couldn't blame her for this though.

"Lorelei, what did you think you were doing?" Andreas demanded of his sister when he did not get what he thought was a proper answer from Dragon.

"What Mother told me." She returned with a calm she wasn't quite feeling yet. Carefully she removed Dragon's hand from her waist and held it within her own.

"Mother told you to let Dragon take liberties with your body?" Andreas exclaimed in disbelief.

"No." She looked at him as if he were an idiot. "Mother told me, that when I found a man, who with a look could make me feel the way I feel in a woman's arms, that I should hang onto him for all I was worth." She smiled. "I was following her instructions to the best of my ability until you interrupted."

"If I hadn't interrupted he would have had you writhing on the carpet and the door wide open for the world to see!" Andreas shouted.

"I like to think I'd at least have the finesse to make sure her first time was in the comfort of a bed." Dragon said mildly, with an ironic gleam in his eye. He caught Lorelei's eye and winked drolly causing the girl to burst into giggles.

"She is my sister!" Andreas shouted at him. "You were…you were…" Words failed him and he simply glared at his friend.

"And I am your friend." Dragon's voice was still amused. "And I am in love with her. I shouldn't have kissed her, since I knew I might not be able to stop, but sometimes I can't help myself. She's too appealing."

"Ohhh…" Lorelei sighed. "Thank you Nwyfan." She smiled at him tenderly. Looking up at her brother she shrugged. "Why are you so upset?" She asked. "It's not as if you didn't know we were in love. He asked permission to court me for Selena's sake."

"Courting! Courting little sister," Andreas said in a paternal tone. "Not mating. You think this courting?" Andreas asked. "Selena's smiles and Tears of Night! When were you planning on stopping him?"

"I wasn't." She told him calmly. "I don't have that much strength, to tell my Dragon no. Not when we are private."

"Then you had better be careful to only kiss him in public!" Andreas reprimanded her. "Or you'll be the subject of gossip and he'll be the recipient of a challenge."

"Now just a minute!" Lorelei rose to her feet and glared at him. "Who do you think you are? You don't run my life Andreas, you can barely keep your own straight. It's not as if you're a celibate priest or something. You're in Maggie's room every night free to take care of any needs you have! Unlike you, I don't have a choice. Mother made sure I was kept a maid. If Dragon wants to kiss me, and if we decide to become lovers, that is our decision. And let me assure you that when it comes to that decision, your opinion won't enter into my considerations."

"Lorelei…" Dragon tried to interject as Andreas looked on in disbelief at his twin's words.

"No!" She said furiously. "If we decide to wait, that is our decision. It is between us. He does not have anything to do with it. It's not as if you're out to bed me and abandon me."

"As if I could." Dragon shook his head. He rose finally from his half kneeling position and wrapped his arms around her. "I cannot help myself at times, I love her." He told Andreas. "And she is right. You are my friend, but I am courting her, with your father's permission. If he has some objection to the way I am treating her, I trust he will say something."

Lorelei nestled into her loves arms and glared at her brother. "I know you are used to being protective of me. But you should not even try to protect me from Dragon."

Andreas ground his teeth and glared at them both feeling embarrassed now as both turned on him. "Anyone could have walked in that door!" He shouted. "Do you want courtiers gossiping about you? Speculating on whether or not you're pregnant?"

"No, but neither do I want to pretend I don't desire Dragon!" Lorelei shouted back at him. "Mind your own business Andreas!"

Andreas flinched as he felt the very words he had shouted to Sebastian earlier. "This is my business!" He shouted back at her. As he saw Lorelei open her mouth to begin to protest, Andreas threw his hands in the air and shouted. "Fine. But don't think this is over Lorelei." He turned on his heel. "Dragon, tomorrow morning, you and I are going to have a discussion. Bring your sword or whatever other weapon you desire to use."

"Andreas?" Two confused voices cried out to him. Yet, it was to no avail as without further words, the Crown Prince stalked out of the room.

* * *

><p>Andreas in his blind rage did not notice where he was walking and crashed headlong into his father as he turned a corner to quickly. So quickly was he walking that he nearly knocked the king right over. "My apologies sir." The prince grasped his father's arm to steady him.<p>

"Where are you going in such a hurry?" Amon queried his oldest son, noting the set line of the young man's jaw.

"The practice room." Andreas said curtly. "I need to pound on something that won't feel it."

"And what inspired this?" The king inquired his blue eyes gleaming.

"My twin and her lover." Andreas ground the words out as if he'd like to strangle both parties mentioned.

Amon leaned against the wall and regarded his son. "It has gone that far?" His tone was carefully neutral since he wasn't sure exactly what was going on yet.

"I walked into her sitting room and they were locked in a passionate embrace." Andreas kept his voice low but his words were intense with outraged indignation.

"And you leapt to conclusions? Or did one of them inform you that they are intimate?" Amon asked.

"I was told to mind my own business, that it was their decision and had nothing to do with me." The young man was clearly offended.

Amon shook his head with a smile. "What did you do to cause such an outburst on Lorelei's part?" He regarded his son patiently.

"I pulled them apart." Andreas said as if it were the most reasonable thing in the world.

Amon chuckled and shook his head. "If you are going to continually interfere with your sister's love life, I suggest you learn to be less heavy-handed about it."

"Dad, you didn't see them." Andreas retorted. "She didn't even look like my sister."

"I suppose you read her the riot act as well?" Amon theorized. "And that's when she told you to mind your own business."

"She had the nerve to tell me she was doing what Mother told her to do!" Andreas exploded.

"Then perhaps you should have left it at that? And gone to speak with your mother about it." Amon suggested. "Since I suspect now that the result of your lecture is your twin wishing your head on a pike. I don't know that Dragon would appreciate being scolded by someone so many years his junior either."

Andreas scowled. "Dragon and I are going to speak tomorrow."

"At your behest or his?" Amon asked dryly. "Let it be Andreas, spar with Dragon tomorrow and meanwhile, determine precisely why you were so upset. You're not making a great amount of sense at the moment."

Andreas nodded reluctantly. "Yes sir."

"Meanwhile, I will go and speak with your mother regarding her instruction to your twin." Amon smiled. "I am her father, she and Dragon will listen to me, I hope. You are her brother, not her superior."

Andreas sighed in annoyance and nodded again, turning and continuing on his way to the practice room. The king watched him and rolled his eyes. His son was so impassioned about his ideals. Sometimes it was hard to believe he would ever temper that passion with wisdom. An ironic smile twisted Amon's lips as he remembered his own youth and determination that the world should be perfect. Still smiling slightly he went in search of his wife.

* * *

><p>"Ladies…" Amon entered his wife's sitting room and gazed appreciatively at her Court Roses as Sabine called her ladies in waiting. With a bow he inquired. "Is my wife somewhere within your company?"<p>

"Her majesty is bathing Sire." A dark haired girl with bright brown eyes offered. "She said we might sit here and have tea and talk. It is private you see."

Amon nodded his understanding. "Thank you Asula."

"We can go if we are intruding." Another girl offered with a hesitant look at the doors that led to the king and queens private apartments. The outer rooms of the wing were semi private, for Sabine's Roses and family, but no one who was not related by blood ever entered Amon and Sabine's private suite unless invited by one of them.

"No, please stay and enjoy yourselves." Amon winked at the girl and smiled at the blush that brightened her cheeks. "Though if my children enter, you might consider warning them off, for a while anyway."

The ladies giggled and many of them blushed at the king's suggestion that he and his wife desired complete privacy. With a grin Amon entered the doors to his rooms and locked them behind him. A lock wouldn't slow down his second son, but he might reconsider interrupting if the doors were locked.

Wandering down the hall he heard humming from the tiled bathroom and entered to see his wife lounging in the shallow end of the tub. Her long hair was drifting over the surface like an exotic flower. She had heard his step for her eyes were open and a smile of welcome on her face.

"Still too cowardly to sit on my end of the tub?" Amon teased. He took a seat on the edge of the tub and trailed his fingers delicately over her upturned face.

"Admit that you were trying to drown me when you had them make the tub so deep on that end." His wife retorted with a smile. "If I grow another foot and a half as you did in my absence I might consider using your side of the tub." She frowned with puzzled concern. "I thought you had an appointment with the ambassador from the Cormanthor?" She asked. "Is there a problem?"

Amon shook his head. "No, not at all. We didn't have a great deal to discuss. I just didn't want to leave it to chance that we'd have enough time." He tilted his head at her. "I bumped into our oldest son on my way back here though. He was extremely agitated."

"By what?" Sabine regarded her husband curiously. "There was not another attempt on his life?" She sat up in alarm, water rushing against the sides of the tub at her abrupt movement.

"No, no love, you may rest easy on that." Amon soothed her immediately. "He was merely ill-prepared for something he should have expected."

Sabine groaned. "Which of his sisters did he catch in a passionate embrace with another woman?" She asked wryly. "Though I would have thought he'd be amply prepared for that."

"Oh, he probably would have blinked and directed them to a less public spot and then moved on." Amon agreed. "No, this was a bit more disturbing to him." He raised his eyebrows wickedly. "Want to guess again? I'll give you a prize if you're right."

"Hmm…what sort of prize?" Sabine purred at him with a lazy smile as she sank back down in the warm water.

"Something you like very much." Her husband teased. "Want to guess?"

Sabine gave him a wicked look. "Hmm…" She stretched in the water and thought a moment. "Well he wouldn't have caught Maggie with another man or woman." She ruled out that possibility. "The best I can guess is that he caught Lorelei doing something she shouldn't be. Something truly outrageous."

Amon trailed his fingers down her throat. "You are very close." He teased. "Should I tell you?"

"Hmm… yes." Sabine smiled up at him. Her eyes grew darker and she sat up a bit. "Tell me please, what has upset him?"

Amon nodded and though his fingers toyed with a lock of her hair he spoke seriously and recounted his conversation with Andreas for his wife. "He was very angry with Dragon, and also with his twin." He told her. "I advised him to consider why this upset him so terribly and I would ask you precisely what you had told Lorelei was permissible once she had truly fallen in love with a good man."

Sabine sighed. "Our son does not wish to give up his twin to another, even though she is happy, even though he loves and respects Dragon as much as he does his brother." She murmured. "You may relax my lord, your ladylike daughter is yet unclaimed by Dragon. I can tell simply by looking at her." Her eyes closed for a moment as she said softly. "I advised her, that when she found and loved a man who could make her feel with a glance the way she felt in the arms of her lady lover, that she hang on to him for all she was worth." A wry smile curved her lips. "She obviously is interpreting my advice in a very literal way if Andreas caught them together."

Amon bent and brushed his lips over Sabine's. "I don't think we will have to worry." He said quietly. "Although you may wish to have a talk with Andreas… I will deal with Lorelei."

"Hmm…good idea." His wife smiled up at him lovingly. "Your daughter listens to you less selectively than she does myself. I don't know if speech with Andreas will be needful yet. Let us see how his talk with Dragon goes tomorrow. If he hasn't accepted Dragon's claim on Lorelei then I will speak with him."

"I agree." Amon nodded as he looked down at his wife. "Are you ever coming out?" He asked whimsically.

"Hmm…I don't know…" she teased, "are you ever coming in?"

"I think I might." Amon grinned.

"Oh, well let me know when you're certain of it." She closed her eyes again a mocking little smile on her lips. Her husband shook his head at her and began to remove his clothing. Sabine's eyelids slitted open, watching her husband undress and feeling the heat pulse through her veins at the sight of his still trim, felinely graceful form. He slid into the tub and her eyes opened a bit more regarding him through her lashes. "My lord wishes a bath?" She inquired lazily arching her eyebrows.

"Your lord, wishes his wife's favors to be bestowed upon him." Amon murmured as he gathered her into his arms and with soap slicked hands began to caress her wickedly.

"Oh, well then…" Sabine gasped out. "I am ever at your service my lord." Her demure look was completely at odds with the knowledgeable stroking of her hands. Before long the game was given up entirely as they strove to satisfy each other.

**TBC**


	16. Chapter 16

**Vows of Blood and Honor**

* * *

><p>Amon knocked on Lorelei's door with slight trepidation. While talking and spending time with his very nude very lovely wife had relaxed him, he did not truly look forward to the discussion he was going to have with his daughter.<p>

"Come in." He heard Lorelei call from within. As he entered he looked around with a shake of his head. His daughter had long ago split her sitting room down the middle. The half with the north window was her art space. The floor was covered with a white cloth, brushes soaked in clay jars and sketches were hung everywhere while a half finished painting sat on the easel.

The other half of the room held two chairs and a couch with a coffee table centered in the middle of them. Along the wall a bookshelf and credenza were placed to good effect. All in all, it was not a bad arrangement since Lorelei flatly refused to have her studio away from her living space.

"Daddy!" His daughter threw a loving smile at him from where she stood before her painting. "What do you think?" She gestured at the watercolor and Amon frowned thoughtfully.

"Its not finished yet." He observed with a tilt of his head.

"I know that." Lorelei returned his teasing remark with an ironic look. "What is your opinion?"

"I like it so far." Amon grinned. "I have no doubt it will be wonderful." The subject of the painting was the horizon that stretched outside her window. It was a view Lorelei had drawn many times yet like the view, each painting was different.

"Have they caught her yet?" Lorelei asked curiously. "Have you come to apprise me of the progress or lack thereof?"

Her father shook his head. "Actually I was thinking of something else altogether." She stuck her brush into a jar of water and leaned against her high stool waiting. "I ran into your brother earlier this afternoon. He was a bit upset."

Lorelei rolled her eyes. "If it was early enough he was more than a little upset." She muttered smartly. "He was livid."

"So I gathered." Amon agreed. "Do you have any idea why?"

His daughter looked at him. "It might have something to do with me telling him to mind his own business."

"Hmm…regarding?" Amon walked casually about the room looking with interest at things he had seen more than a three dozen times before. "He mentioned you were following your mother's instruction?"

Lorelei folded her arms watching her father carefully. "Dragon and I were together and he found us." She formulated her speech with care.

Her father stifled a groan and wished for a moment with all his heart that he'd only had sons. Then he took a deep breath and looked at Lorelei. "And is there anything you feel the need to discuss?" He asked in seeming idleness. "Questions, or concerns…" he drifted off vaguely.

'Oh sweet Selena, he doesn't want to talk about THIS.' Lorelei thought to herself in horror. "Not really no. We weren't doing anything wrong." She replied faintly, appalled at the thought that she'd have to discuss anything with her father, much as she loved him.

A sigh of relief whooshed out of the king. "What upset your brother so much then? That you had to tell him to mind his own business." Amon tried a different tack. His relief was very short lived.

"I suppose he thought Dragon and I were behaving inappropriately." Lorelei shrugged. "We had the door open."

"And were you? Behaving inappropriately I mean?" Her father inquired, trying not to grind his teeth. Not for nothing had he made his daughter a diplomat, a more close mouthed, politically speaking child he had yet to sire.

"I suppose from his point of view yes." Lorelei shrugged. "But it isn't any of his business, so it doesn't really matter." Her voice grew irritated. "He certainly did not have the right to interfere."

'Now we're getting somewhere.' Amon thought with relief. "How did he interfere?"

"He pulled us apart." Lorelei said in indignation. "He then proceeded to read me a lecture on how to behave, and he had the nerve to call Dragon out as well."

"What upset him so much?" Amon asked praying inwardly that the answer would be no where near as bad as he was anticipating.

"I haven't the faintest idea!" Lorelei snapped. "We were both fully clothed, the door was wide open, and Dragon was kissing me." She smiled slightly even through her anger.

Amon turned to regard her in amazement. "Kissing? That's all?" He asked.

"I'll grant you it was a wonderful kiss, and I wasn't thinking of stopping but the open door would have prevented us from going too far. That was the point of having it open." Lorelei grinned. "I knew sooner or later someone would interrupt. There's no privacy here unless you have a lock Sebastian can't pick."

"So there's no privacy." Amon rolled his eyes. "Why in the world was your twin so upset then?" He asked with a sigh.

"I don't know." Lorelei sat down and pushed a strand of hair out of her eyes, not noticing that it turned blue with the paint on her fingers. "It might have been a shock to see us in a passionate embrace, but Nwyfan is courting me." She pointed out.

Amon shook his head. "Yes. It's not as if Andreas didn't do his best to arrange that anyway. It wouldn't be a shock."

"I don't care if he did try to matchmake." Lorelei snapped. "He doesn't have the right to tell me what to do. And he certainly isn't in command of Dragon." She rolled her eyes. "I could deal with it if you or Mother insisted on certain levels of behavior, but Andreas? He's in Maggie's room every night. He doesn't have any room to lecture me about kissing Dragon."

Amon nodded absently still trying to determine exactly why Andreas had reacted in a way that was so unreasonable. "I'll talk to him." He said quietly. "Why don't you begin getting ready for dinner?" He looked at his daughter and smiled. "You might want to wash your hair." The king suggested.

Lorelei pulled a lock forward to look at it and shook her head at the blue watercolors that streaked the silver blond locks. "See you at dinner Daddy. I love you."

"I love you too Leelee." Amon murmured as he watched her walk into her bedroom. "And before I speak with Andreas I'm going to take a page from Sabine's book and get some information about what he's been up to recently. I believe I'll go and visit Sebastian." The king rose and purposefully set out to do just that.

* * *

><p>His chat with Sebastian was remarkably short considering the subject. Of course, Sebastian's unwillingness to discuss the subject did have something to do with it. Amon finally threw his hands up in the air muttering to himself. "Why do I bother trying to help?" He asked himself. "My children don't need me. They can do it all themselves now. The Gods forbid that I care about them!" He exclaimed turning and looking at his younger son.<p>

Sebastian sighed. "Dad, I'm sorry." He regarded his father seriously. "I can only theorize, and I'm uncomfortable doing that. What I know for certain, is that Andreas met someone when he was in the Western Heart. And he came back here alone, and didn't say a word about it."

"How can you be sure he met someone?" Amon asked. "It couldn't just be the shock of…" Amon paused and Sebastian's heart nearly broke as he saw sorrow clearly etched for a moment on his father's face. Then, the king's face was serenely composed again, "How can you be sure it is not simply because of the loss that we all suffered during that time?" He asked his son who regarded him with the patient gaze of a master whose credibility has just been questioned. "How can you be sure it's a person?" Amon asked finally.

"Dad, please." Sebastian gave him a wounded look. "I'm trying to pretend I'm not being insulted here. Would you ask Mother that?"

Amon rolled his eyes. "No I would not." He admitted. "Its just disconcerting at times to have my son more knowledgeable than I am about the rest of my children."

"Dad, please." Sebastian rolled his eyes annoyed that he was repeating himself. "It's basically my job. I mean…what else do I have to do, other than watch everyone. It's not as if the Court is this Intellectual Stimuli. Thankfully Briar keeps me from going insane and taking everyone else along with me."

Amon shook his head and sighed. "You will not tell me anything more?" He inquired.

Sebastian frowned thoughtfully. "I can't compromise my brother's privacy to satisfy your need to know." He said finally. "I don't ever want to cross that line, not unless I have to for good reason."

Amon scowled at the thought. The thought of such an invasion of privacy still made him angry. "I can understand your dilemma." He said sympathetically. "I won't ask you anymore."

The younger prince rose and said quietly. "Dad, I know it isn't much, but think about something for a moment. Enamoured as I am of Briar, and as impassioned as we are, Andreas has never caught us in an embrace. He has seen me holding her, but never passionately." His voice was soft. "He is not aware I know anything about this. But I can at least restrain myself until Briar and I are private."

Amon smiled at his son proudly. "You do a very good job of keeping your brother ignorant of how much you care for him. And how much you look out for him." He turned to go and then looked back at his son. "Have I ever told you how proud I am of you Sebastian?" He asked quietly looking at his son with adoration and love in his eyes. "I am very proud."

Sebastian smiled and felt tears in his eyes. He simply nodded as his father rose. "Thank you father," He said quietly and then watched his father leave.

As the door closed behind Amon, Sebastian did feel tears fall from his eyes. But, they were not simply because of his father's words of love. Turning back to his desk, Sebastian pressed a button and as a secret cache open, slowly pulled forth a green crystal. Holding the crystal before his eyes, Sebastian thought on his father's words and the secret he carried with him, that made him cry now more than anything else. "I know father," He said thinking again of Amon's words. "I just hope one day Andreas can say the same and I can feel the same about myself."

* * *

><p>Dragon regarded his friend with an opaque black gaze. The crown prince of Cormyr looked as if he hadn't slept well. Lines of pained weariness tightened his mouth and eyes.<p>

The warrior mage sighed his resignation and shook his head. Andreas was still in a bit of a rage. He said as much. "So are you still angry enough to do this?"

His friend simply looked at him and said flatly. "Draw your sword."

Dragon rolled his eyes. "The mood you're in this won't take long."

He was right. The fight, such as it was, lasted all of twenty minutes. This was mostly due to the fact that Dragon was deliberately parrying Andreas' blows and letting him wear himself out. Finally Andreas got in a lucky strike that would have done serious damage to an opponent of less skill. A thin line of blood trickled down Dragon's pointed ear.

Dragon finally lost patience and used his full strength. Andreas found himself disarmed, his blade wrenched from his hands with a wicked twist of the suddenly glowing dragon-sword. Before the younger man was aware of what was happening a still glowing sword point was resting gently at the base of his throat. Black glittering eyes glared down the length of the blade, boring into him.

"I don't know what has made you so angry." Dragon said in his rasping voice. "And at the moment it doesn't concern me." He paused and visibly gathered his words regaining control over the barely leashed power within him. "I would remind you, Your Highness, that it was yourself who played matchmaker and brought Lorelei and I together. You told me once that you wished your twin to be happy."

His voice grew rougher as emotion thickened it. "Let me make this very clear. If your wish for her has changed it is too late to revoke your approval of me." His words had the snap and timbre of a growl. "I love her. She is not the first I have loved but she is the last. I cannot breathe without aching for her. For her smile and voice and ready wit. She is mine! And I will not give her up. I would rather try to stop the tide than attempt it."

Dragon lifted the blade and sheathed the great sword on his back again. The last of the ruby's light faded with the glittering in his eyes. "I apologize for losing patience with you Andreas." He said more gently. "Let me know when you would like to spar again."

Another pair of gleaming eyes watched the tall warrior leave with a bow to the prince.

Andreas was sagging against the wall in the type of exhaustion only extreme rage or fear leaves in its wake. Swiftly, with a sudden fury at himself, his actions, Dragon, and others, Andreas slammed his fist repeatedly against the padded wall he rested against. The other set of eyes regarded this and finally decided it was time to speak.

A crisp melodic voice curt through the air, causing Andreas to tense again. "That was a very interesting display of swordsmanship." It commented. Andreas' eyes darted around the room but still could not locate the speaker. "I don't believe I've seen a fit of temper like that since your father and grandfather were about to carve into each other."

Andreas sighed as the slim black clad form drifted out of the shadows. The long pale gold braid would have reached her thighs if it hadn't been wound into a knot at the base of her neck. Her gaze gleamed like amethysts.

"Momma." Andreas greeted her with a shake of his head. "I would have thought you had more important concerns than to watch me."

"No my son, at the moment you are my chief concern." Sabine said gravely. "Have you the time to spare? I crave speech with you." Her words were overly formal, something her children had learned to take as a sign that she was worried.

"Of course." Andreas bowed. "Your wish is my command, my queen."

Sabine rolled her eyes. "Of course it is." She echoed dryly. "Shall we go to your rooms? You can bathe while I wait." It was firm suggestion.

Andreas grimaced and stooped to pick up his blade. "I would not dare to disagree." He commented. "I do not wish to be thrashed twice within the same hour."

His mother simply nodded and lapsed into a comfortable silence. With complete lack of concern for his sweat-stained condition she wrapped her arm around his and accompanied him to his rooms.

When he emerged from his bath and entered his sitting room, attired in a simple tunic and breeches his mother was comfortably ensconced in a wing chair, pouring tea with elegant posture and sweet grace. "I'm constantly amazed at how graceful the women of our family look when they pour tea." He grinned. "And Sebastian too, how he does it without looking effeminate is beyond me, but he manages."

"He is comfortable in his skin." Sabine said simply. "But you haven't been comfortable in yours for the past day or so have you." It was more an observation than a question.

Andreas looked at her and shrugged. "I am as always." He replied taking the cup she handed him. He didn't seem interested in drinking it, simply stirring the liquid with the spoon endlessly.

"Andreas." Sabine regarded him patiently. "Do you honestly think you are fooling me?" She lifted her cup to her lips her eyes glowing over the edge of the porcelain.

"Perhaps I'm simply hoping that for once my family will let well enough alone?" Andreas retorted.

"But you are not 'well enough' or we would be content to let you go on as you are." His mother shot back though her tone was more gentle. "Your reaction to seeing your sister in such an embrace was somewhat understandable although a bit more than I would have imagined coming from you. All that, well and good, it still is not like you to hold onto your anger for this long." She smiled slightly. "You are so like your father, a loving soul, not given to petty concerns."

"It angered me greatly." Andreas admitted. "In part because anyone could have walked in and found them like that and I do not want anyone talking bad of either of them."

"And the other part?" His mother asked softly as he seemed to forget where he was and his eyes grew so dark with emotion.

Silence followed for several seconds and then Andreas said in a near whisper. "You remember when I was sent to the Western Heart." His parent nodded slowly, her mind racing to all the possible implications. "I met someone there." His face slowly illuminated with the smile that spread his lips. "She was a child ….and I was a child," Andreas said his voice sounding reverently, "in that kingdom by the sea."

"You loved her," Her mother stated rather than asked.

Andreas nodded, his gaze lost it appeared in memories of the past. "We loved with a love that was more than love." He shook his head, "I'd never met anyone like her, sweet and strong and unsure of herself and then so certain."

A sweet smile curved his mother's lips as she looked at him. Her oldest son looked as she knew she did whenever she spoke of her husband. She'd seen that look on the faces of three of her children now. "This was the first time your heart was engaged?" She asked softly, not wishing to disturb the aura of joy surrounding her son.

"Yes." Andreas murmured soberly. "I was with another intimately before I knew my heart was engaged with hers or realized she was so in love with me. But, I never ….never was in love...until…" He paused as if not wanting to speak her name for some reason, "until I met my maiden by the sea." As if given a cue, Andreas face lost the glazed look and he wiped away a stray tear that had fallen down his face. "And while I have great affection for Maggie, I have never felt that way about anyone else."

"So, this love was not unrequited?" Sabine asked inquired hesitantly. Her voice was sympathetic but not pitying.

Andreas gave a short laugh. "No, that's the rub." He shook his head. "No, she loved me too, just as much as I loved her." A great sigh escaped him. "No circumstances, events… decreed that we could not be together as we wanted."

"I'm sorry Andreas." Sabine offered with a sigh. "I know it is not easy." She looked at him speculatively. "That is the greater part of why you became so angry isn't it?" She asked.

Andreas set his cup down and sat back in his chair for a minute. "I loved her, love her still, so much… I found someone whose soul is the other half of mine." He tried to explain how he felt. "And then I had to give her up." He sat forward again and balanced his forearms on his knees bending over them almost. "And now…" he looked up at his mother with eyes both tormented and accepting of it. "I grew up with you and Dad, knowing that the two of you were meant to be together. Then I found her, and lost her. And now, I see my younger brother…who I never thought would stop his whirlwind of roguish behavior to even notice one woman in particular…so completely intensely in love with Briar. I see my twin, who scorned men for fools and worse, lose her heart and icy reserve to a man who is far from perfect but he's perfect for Lorelei."

Andreas looked at his mother. "Momma, I see them, and I see you. All I can wonder is will I ever feel that way about anyone else, ever again in my life. I know I must marry. But will I ever have the chance to love that way again? As if I've found the other half of my soul. Or did I find her, for the first time, and the only time, and was forced to give her up? Sometimes it felt the only comfort I had was at least my twin still was like me, both alone, and not minding it much." The future king looked down and said in a choked voice. "So seeing my twin, knowing she will marry the man she adores, the other half of her soul, in such a passionate embrace. And somehow feeling in a furious moment that I won't ever find that again, I was angry and jealous."

Sabine reached her hand across the space between him and threaded her fingers through his hair. "Oh Andreas." She sighed with sorrow and aching for her son. "I know." Her voice was heavy with the truth of her words. "I know how it feels."

"Yes." Her son said not bitterly but still not very gently. "Mother .. " He said trying to wipe away the tears that had again formed in his eyes, "you were able to marry Father." Andreas said not understanding how she could know what he felt.

"Andreas, in spite of what you have seen." Sabine said in a more normal voice. "And I'll grant you this won't be much consolation at the moment." Her voice was dry. "It is possible to love more than once in a lifetime." She reached down and lifted his chin. "If you can't believe me, go to Waterdeep, ask your grandfather." She nodded. "Your father is something of a rarity dearest. He loved once, intensely, but if he hadn't met me, he would have loved others. And he might have had to face the same pain you bear now." Gentle hands stroked Andreas' cheek. "Drakkar, my father Elaith, even my Grandfather, all of them have loved more than one woman in their life. Each love is different, but no less strong." Her smile was joyous and sad both. "I was blessed in that my first love, was the love of my entire life. But for most of the world it is not so."

"I owe Lorelei and Dragon an apology." Andreas sighed. "I have been behaving selfishly and foolishly." He looked sheepish. "And I was a bit appalled at how intoxicated my twin looked. It's not going to be easy, giving her up."

Sabine smiled. "It never is," reaching out to pull her oldest son into a gentle embrace. "It never is," she whispered again.

**TBC**


	17. Chapter 17

**Vows of Blood and Honor**

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><p>Briar grinned as Sebastian neatly avoided her blade. With nothing much to do beside practice the two of them were getting better at using each other's weapons. Sebastian's skill with the rapier was nearly on par with her own. And thanks to his elven grandparents he too had a way of moving that incorporated the smooth flowing style of the martial arts.<p>

Her uncle Mory called a halt to their sparring telling Briar that her father had arrived. The girl wiped down her blade and sheathed it, turning to bow to the elf.

Vidan smiled at the bow. His child had a delightful sense of humor, seeing the ridiculous in everything. Today so that she could practice her blades she wore hose and a hooded tunic. Vidan had no doubt that the clothing was similar to what she had worn at Serendal. The fabric was old and soft, clinging to her form and her lovely face smiled from under the tight hood. She clearly believed she resembled a boy.

The elf's smile did not falter as he took in his daughter's companion but neither did it warm overmuch. Prince Sebastian like Briar wore older clothing. The black leather was worn in spots but the vest and cannons were bleakly businesslike and revealed what the bladesinger had previously overlooked.

The prince was tall, and slim due to his elven heritage, that had always been evident. But revealed by his bare arms and exposed chest and abdomen were corded wiry muscles, suggesting a strength and power normally concealed.

"Briar my dear," Vidan shook his head with a smile. "You don't truly believe you look boyish in those garments?"

His daughter shot him a startled look as he called her by her nickname. "Do I not?" She asked in surprise darting a glance at Sebastian and then at her father.

The appreciative gleam in Sebastian's eye was all the confirmation she needed. Vidan simply shook his head chuckling. "My very dear child, the men of this city truly must have been blind." He said. "You could not be mistaken for anything other than a girl."

"Her disguise is much more effective if you don't know her." Sebastian grinned at Briar. "She also tended to pad everything so that her figure didn't show and her face was dirty."

"And yet you saw through it rather quickly from what I have been told." Vidan observed. For the first time the elf's voice wasn't cold when he spoke to the younger man.

Sebastian's grin grew wider as he mischievously pulled Briar's hood off her head, spilling her braids down her back. "I had the good fortune to attend her performance and then the next day heard her as a boy speaking to someone. The name caught my attention and I got a bit closer than she liked. Distance was also fairly important. It wasn't really a very good disguise." He shrugged apologetically at Briar. His hands stroked her braids and he tugged at one teasingly.

"I imagine Dragon's rather intimidating figure aided the distance factor." Vidan commented. One slim forefinger rubbed at his chin consideringly. "You have yet to put your blade away your highness. Perhaps you would care to spar with me?"

The teasing smile fell abruptly from Sebastians face and he bowed formally. "I doubt my skill is to your standards but I would be honored my lord."

Briar looked at her father and then at her lovers set face and her heart twisted inside her ribs. "Sebastian," she whispered as he began to move forward. The prince turned to look at her with gentle eyes though his expression did not change.

To his utter shock she wrapped her arms around him and gave him a long passionate kiss that he couldn't help but respond to. When she finally released his mouth she still had her arms around him.

"My Rose, not that I don't delight in your kisses, but what inspired that?" Sebastian barely managed to keep his voice from shaking from the desire she'd lit in him.

Rosaleen shot a hard look at her father who gazed back unfazed. "Because I love you." She murmured. "Before all else my prince, I am yours."

Vidan's sharp hearing caught her words and as he wondered if he had been meant to hear, half expected Sebastian to agree and claim her. Instead, to his pleased surprise, words wiser than he'd hoped for were Sebastian's reply.

"Rose," the prince whispered gently. "I am humbled and honored that you wish to be mine. But we both know that before you are mine you are a bard and a warrior and a daughter, just as I am many things and also yours. Do not reduce your vow by swearing an untruth no matter your longing." Sebastian's voice was the softest of murmurs. "I love you for all that you are, my loving Rose. Do not reduce yourself to being only mine."

Briar sighed at the truth in his words and nodded even as she wrinkled her nose at him playfully. "Why can you never act the fool along with me Sebastian?" She asked with a forced smile. "Why must you confound me with wisdom?"

Sebastian kissed her forehead. "Because if I didn't you would grow bored with me." He said. "Now may I go spar with your father?" His eyebrows lifted inquiringly.

"Yes, yes, go on then." Briar sighed and retreated to stand by her uncle.

Mory had watched in his stoic way with folded arms and a curious gaze. He now smiled down at his niece. "Why the performance?" He asked softly. "What are you so concerned about?"

"That this will go further than sparring." Briar said soberly. "That this is a challenge in a way."

"It is, but not in the way you are thinking." Mory told her. He gestured at the two men who had begun, his voice had automatically risen slightly to be heard over the clash of blades. "I forget that you do not know him as well as your mother and I. Vidan never spars with folk he dislikes." He smiled watching his friend. "He is testing your teaching of Sebastian, and estimating your young man's skill. He does not take this at all seriously. I can tell by the way he's fighting."

"How?" Briar asked curiously. She had sparred with her father quite a bit and saw nothing different in his manner.

"You've never fought in a battle with him. There's a controlled intensity to his movements that's missing now. And his eyes go completely black. He looks dangerous." Mory shrugged.

"Well if you know my father, I know my prince." Briar replied grimly. "He may not be fighting for his life but he is taking this very seriously."

"How can you tell?" Mory murmured the question.

"His smile." Briar murmured never taking her eyes off the two men.

"What about it?" Mory inquired. "He looks as he always does, as if he's bored."

"Yes." Briar nodded slightly. "A true smile from Sebastian can stop my heart with delight." Her lips tilted a bit in recollection. "His smile now, doesn't brighten his eyes. It makes my heart go cold and ache."

Sebastian wasn't entirely sure of his motivations in agreeing to spar with Vidan. He certainly expected to be defeated without even scoring a touch on the elf. His only other certainty was that he knew the elf wasn't out to kill him, a fear he suspected had fueled Briar's actions before the fight.

The prince fought with a gritty determination to last as long as possible while not going completely on the defensive. He doubted he could force the elf to respect him, but perhaps Vidan might finally understand there was more to Sebastian than the courtier.

The elf was hard pressed to keep from laughing. Sebastian fought similarly to Briar, but with more strength behind his blade and a way of moving that was purely masculine as Briar's was feminine. He also seemed to fight from the viewpoint of a man who has been in a battle for his life a time or two. Though the prince made slight errors in technique they were never of the sort that would leave him vulnerable. Still he was not Vidan's equal in skill and did the elf choose he could easily overwhelm the prince.

Finally the bladesinger halted bringing up his blade. He watched as Sebastian did the same and smiled. "You are quite skilled." He told the young man. "Your way of fighting though, has the echoes of my daughters ways about it." Sebastian simply looked at him inquiringly and Vidan's smile widened to a grin as he looked over at his daughter. "You fight from the standpoint of one who is reluctant to kill, very defensively. I can see no lack of resolve in you but your rapier point often comes short of its mark. And you are not making use of your strength in your movements, only your grace. Combine the two and you might exceed my child in skill."

Briar frowned where she stood regretful that she'd transferred the weaknesses in her fighting to Sebastian. Her father shook his head at her. "You taught him well. His technique is very good my dear." He beckoned she and her uncle forward and took her hands gently. "But you haven't the experience in teaching required to adapt your technique to another's strength's and weaknesses." He bowed to Sebastian slightly. "The most obvious flaw in your skill with the rapier is that you always seek a killing blow. You do not seem to be accustomed to drawing your blade for sport or pleasure as many young nobles do. Yours is an intent to take blood and life when you fight with live steel."

Sebastian bowed in return and his lips twitched into a smile. "You have become very observant sir." He remarked quietly. "And you are correct. My teachers do not see swordplay as sport. It can be beautiful, and enjoyable certainly, but a blade is a weapon, and such skills are to be honed and respected, not dabbled in."

Vidan nodded his understanding. "So it is with many bladesingers. There are few among us who take such talents lightly." He cocked his head looking amazingly like his daughter as his dark eyes brightened with amusement. "I would train you myself, since I have announced now all that I have found to be needful in your teaching, but…" he glanced at Mory. "My old friend could tell you that while I am skilled with my blade, I am not a good teacher. I lack in patience."

Mory muttered almost to himself. "Oh, never say so!" He rolled his eyes.

Vidan chuckled. "Will you teach him then?" He inquired. "I know of no one who is more capable, or more skilled. You have a gift for it, for arms and for the teaching of them. I easily see your hand in my daughters skill. Perhaps you might convince her to remember your early teachings of her. She is trying to forget that her rapier can kill."

Briar flushed and nodded. "If I have taught Sebastian so wrongly in this…then yes, I must relearn those early lessons." She looked at Mory. "Will you?"

Mory looked at Sebastian who was studying the elf with dark blue eyes and a slight smile on his face. "What say you, your highness? Will you bear being taught by an old bastard commoner like me?"

Sebastian looked at him. "I had hoped you knew me better than to ask." He replied mildly. "I am pleased you will consider me your student. My only condition is that you do not call yourself a bastard when you are with me. In my mind it is more of a description of character than birth, and there is nothing that marks you so despicable to me." When the older man seemed to consider objecting Sebastian added softly. "Please sir, I have an intense dislike for that term. My mother's parents were handfasted, but she was told for years that her birth was…illegitimate. However untrue it was for a long time a source of pain for her. I will not consider any child to be so. A liaison yes, but a child…never."

The soft intensity of his words and voice made Mory blink but he shook his head. "I will endeavor to censor my tongue, but old habits die hard. I will do my best though, out of respect for your mother and for you."

Briar smiled slightly. "Then tomorrow lessons begin again?" She asked. "I would begin now but I must bathe, I have an appointment with her majesty. She has asked it I would teach her a bit of the harp, and in exchange she is tutoring me in the violin."

"Ah, good luck then." Sebastian grinned. "I had better follow your example, I have a great deal to accomplish as well."

Vidan smiled slightly. "Well since you are escorting my daughter safely to her quarters, I shall remain with my old friend and see if he will give me a match before I begin to prepare for your Court." Briar's eyebrows shot up in surprise as her father bowed to them both and regarded her uncle challengingly.

Sebastian however was not one to look a gift horse in the mouth. Offering his arm the prince whisked her away to his rooms muttering. "I never thought to be getting approval from that quarter, let alone a near blessing to be alone with you. What in the world did you say to him beloved?"

Briar smiled. "I told him the truth about my past, and how you and I met, how you courted me." She told him. "I did my best to make it clear that much of what I am, how I act is due to you and Dragon. That you taught me to trust, and that I can be proud of who I am." Her lips brushed over his cheek. "I did not tell him what you do, only how you have protected me and behaved with respect towards me from the start. And that to be with you is my choice, not coercion."

"I could get used to being able to show that I am in love with you when your father is around." Sebastian grinned. "Not that I have truly been attempting to hide it."

"Show me Sebastian…" Briar whispered as she began to pull her tunic over her head. Her shift clung to her breasts and stomach and forced a groan from her lovers throat. "Bathe with me…I don't truly need to be anywhere for a while yet. Do you?"

Sebastian grinned. "I have a few hours I could wile away." He answered and let his black vest fall from his hand to a chair as he moved towards her.

* * *

><p>Sebastian in a rare display of displeasure crumpled the parchment into a ball and hurled it away from him. The black scowl that darkened his features was so unlike his normal carefree expression that Briar stared at him a moment in shock.<p>

"Tears of night Sebastian, you haven't had a fit of temper in years, not since you were two." His mother commented from where she sat tuning her lute. "What brought that on?"

"I've just received word on Loren's whereabouts." Sebastian replied curtly. "I'm sure you'll be simply delighted to hear that she is at this moment aboard a ship bound for the South." Sarcastic anger practically dripped from his voice.

"I see." His mother didn't raise an eyebrow. "And we know this for certain?"

Sebastian sighed his anger seeping out of him at his parent's reasonable tone. The concerned look on his love's face as she regarded him soon had him seating himself beside her and taking her hands in his own as he addressed them both. "She was last seen boarding the ship. Scrying revealed her to be on board when it sailed and a day after that. There is no further word, but her ship still sails south and she has not been seen elsewhere. It did not dock at any other port but took a direct course."

"So she escapes then?" Briar asked softly. "She is out of reach?" She wasn't sure which answer would be worse, yes or no, since her cousin was clearly without remorse. But she was still Briar's relative, a girl the bard had sung to sleep after nightmares and played dolls with when they were both young. That she would soon be dead was terrible, but that she live to wreak more havoc and suffering on the Obarskyrs was unthinkable.

"Raden makes it a policy to avoid any Southern entanglements. The spies we have are very discreet and rarely take on the assassin's role. To try and retrieve her from those lands would be unwise. To sink her ship would be obvious, and there is no guarantee it would be successful in killing her." He grinned at his mother who smiled thinking of the last time a fireball had hit a ship she'd been on. "So for now, unless she returns to Cormyr, she is out of reach."

"Of course the agents we do have in down there will be alerted. And if they see her she will be dealt with, discreetly of course, but dealt with." Sabine interjected quietly. "Raden is quite…determined in his protection of Cormyr and its royal family." Her mouth twisted wryly as she glanced at her son.

Sebastian nodded. "For which I'm sure Father occasionally thanks the gods." He grinned slightly. "I will have to talk to him about whether or not we allow folk to leave the palace, or stay safely here for a while longer." He rubbed his forehead. "Of course Lorelei and Andreas really shouldn't go anywhere just yet. Even if Loren is gone, they are still members of this family."

"Raden will be coming up with new Watchers soon I should think." Sabine said quietly. "He is very efficient about that sort of thing."

"I'll ask him how it's coming. I'm certain once word gets about that our confinement is coming to an end the twins will both want to get out of the palace, or as Andreas has occasionally called it, 'this damnable rock of solitude'." Sebastian said, mostly to remind himself.

Briar blinked and giggled at the repeated comment and shook her head. "Its not that bad." She offered. "At least there's a lot to do." She rolled her eyes.

"Yes." Sabine smiled at the girl. "We could be stuck in Suzail." She made a face at the thought.

"You don't like your home there?" Briar asked curiously.

Sabine looked at Sebastian who shook his head ever so slightly. "Amon and I haven't cared as much for the Royal Seat since one of the noble ladies gave him dream wine while I was away, then tried to trick him into sleeping with her niece. The plotting was for nothing, and we turned it against the lady, but that episode is…typical of the situations we remember of Suzail. Others tried to use magic to spy on my husband in order to use his affectionate nature against him."

Briar blinked in horror thinking of how she would feel if she had to guard every moment from gossip and plotting and magic as well. "Sweet Maiden! How could they? But someone's bedroom…it's so private…"

Sebastian nodded. "You see why I am so careful in my dealings with Kelso and the other watchers I have? My cadre? I never want to become so callous that I ignore such a basic human need."

Briar nodded. "I think I see too, why you are so careful in your use of magic's to fulfil your responsibilities."

Sabine smiled. "I expect though that soon Raden will want you to learn a bit more about magic?" She theorized. "His position requires a full array of talents."

Sebastian responded with a nod and a groan. "He is arranging a tutor." The prince rolled his eyes. "Let us hope that I prove apt, or my career as a courtier may well begin in truth." He sounded so completely and sincerely horrified at the thought that both women began laughing.

**TBC**


	18. Chapter 18

**Vows of Blood and Honor**

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><p>Sebastian regarded Faith and Asrai with a stern glance that reminded them both more of the king than the queen. "I don't have to tell you that you should retreat at the first sign of trouble." He said finally. "Or that this may be revoked at any time should the threat arise again?"<p>

"Boss, she's just going to rehearsals." Faith pointed out. "I know that theatre like the back of my hand. And there won't be any 'inspiring' outdoor readings either." She cast a pointed look at Asrai.

"It wasn't my idea." Asrai protested. "And it wasn't my fault either." Her mouth set stubbornly.

Sebastian grinned. Last time someone had suggested an excursion to the forest nearby to read the lines in a natural setting. They had thought it would be uplifting. Instead most of the cast had wandered through poison ivy, or been bitten by ants. Asrai and Faith hadn't been among the afflicted mostly because Asrai in her childhood had adored woodcraft as much as she loved acting now. Faith had found the entire episode amusing and enjoyed teasing Asrai about her fellow thespians naïveté.

"Whatever." Faith rolled her eyes. "You're staying in the theatre. That way I can keep an eye on you, and those other idiots too."

Sebastian smothered a smile and nodded. "Mother and Dad don't have any problem with you going back to rehearsals, though I think Mother still doubts whether the play is worth it. I don't like it though, so do me the favor of heeding me, and taking care with yourselves?"

"What's wrong boss?" Faith frowned. "I thought you said she was in the South?"

"She was last seen on a boat going south." Sebastian corrected grimly. "No one has seen her there yet. We can't go on hiding forever, but I'd rather be a little cautious than a lot dead."

Faith nodded her agreement. "We'll keep on a firm schedule, all right babe?" She looked at Asrai. "It will be better if the boss knows where you are all the time. If you don't show up somewhere, he knows to worry."

"That means don't be late to dinner." Sebastian grinned at his sister who was frowning with concern. Kissing her forehead he said quietly. "I know acting is like breathing for you, and how hard this has been. That's why we're lowering our guard a bit."

"You mean your paranoia, don't you?" Asrai smiled darkly.

"It's not paranoia if someone is really out to get you." Sebastian said with a grim smile. "Just be careful both of you."

The two girls nodded and Faith tilted her head consideringly. "Lets go find out if they gave your part away." She teased.

"Thanks Faith, I needed to hear that!" Asrai retorted.

Sebastian shook his head tolerantly as they left the room arguing companionably.

* * *

><p>Lorelei looked at her twin and then at Dragon. The two of them were once again on friendly terms, mostly because Andreas had apologized for overreacting and because Dragon really hadn't been that interested in being unfriendly.<p>

Dragon's eyes were an inscrutable onyx as he listened to the news of Loren and how the confinement to the castles walls was at an end. Finally he murmured in his harsh voice. "You say they may go about as they choose Sebastian, that your parents have relaxed the restrictions to simply being careful in their destinations and companions. I hear something else in your voice though."

Lorelei sighed and looked at her older brother. Andreas nodded his agreement with Dragon's assessment and said quietly. "You don't like the idea of Lorelei and I going out and about without our Watchers."

"No, I don't." Sebastian shrugged even though his blue eyes were dark with concern. "But if Mother and Dad say that you may, then who am I to gainsay them?"

"Who indeed?" Dragon echoed with a sarcastic twist. "Are they in danger if they leave?"

Sebastian pushed hand through his curls, rumpling them. "I don't know." He admitted. "Painful as that is to concede." He rolled his eyes. "I don't like the idea, it goes against everything I've learned. Andreas is the Crown Prince, and Lorelei our best Diplomat and a royal Princess. For that alone I would say they should not go out alone. But they are my brother and sister too, and I do not want to lose them." He looked at the three of them. "Until Loren is dead none of us are completely safe. We are not completely safe anyway, because of our birth. If you must go out, do not go alone, that is all I ask. Take Dragon, or myself or one of the Purple Dragons."

"I think for the few days more it will take Raden to find us appropriate Watchers I can endure the palace, so long as I have Dragon's company." Lorelei said slowly, her younger brother's words causing her more concern than she wanted to admit. "I know that you chafe at the restrictions though." She told Andreas. "My duties keep me busy quite often, perhaps Dragon wouldn't mind accompanying you?"

Dragon grinned. "As if it's a chore to run about with my friend." He chided her. "You know you can ask anything of me. This is the least of what I would do to aid you and your family. You are all my friends as well as my beloved's brothers." His black eyes flicked over Sebastian and Andreas.

The Crown Prince smiled briefly. "Knowing I may go if I wish, eases the need to be gone." He said finally. "Though I may take you up on the offer of company Dragon."

Dragon nodded and regarded Sebastian with an amused gaze. "You know your hardest task may well be convincing Briar to stay inside. This enforced confinement has been driving her to distraction. As is evidenced by her constant practicing and learning the violin from your mother."

Sebastian nodded. "I know. My mother reacts to this situation the same way. You know that Briar was teaching her the harp." He shook his head. "I'm hardly one to talk, I've been studying elven legends until I could recite some of them and the variations on them from memory."

"You are so like Mother its funny." Lorelei teased.

"So are you." He retorted.

"No, I'm like Grandfather, Mother said so." Lorelei tossed her head, amber eyes flashing.

"Oh, and Mother isn't like Grandfather?" Sebastian queried in mock astonishment. "You'd better rethink your insults Lorelei, you're getting sloppy in your old age."

"And you're growing stupid in your diapers." Lorelei shot back.

"All right children that will do." Dragon growled just as Andreas was saying, "Good grief, enough already!" The two friends looked at each other and began laughing as the other two rolled their eyes.

* * *

><p>"How do I get myself talked into this?" Sebastian asked as he, Vidan and Briar walked across the bridge from the palace to the city. "I know it's unwise, I know it's dangerous, I even know that it's probably stupid, but I still get talked into letting you leave the palace." The prince looked at Briar and narrowed his eyes.<p>

"Because you know I can take care of myself in a fight, that I'm going crazy all cooped up like a fragile lady, and that with you and my father, I'm the safest I'll ever be, unless we managed to add Dragon to my escort." Briar returned sweetly. "And this way we can take your sister back with us and make sure she and Faith are all right as well."

"And also because you were about ready to scale the walls and cross the bridge yourself." Vidanalas commented from the other side of his daughter.

"I can't deny it." Sebastian shrugged. "I don't like confinement any more than my brother. I simply hide it better."

"Truer words were never spoken." Briar said in her dry humorous tone. "We're only going as far as the Rose. We wait a little bit for Asrai, and then we all five of us walk back together. Nice simple little excursion."

"Famous last words." Her father teased and Briar laughed.

Sebastian shook his head at both of them. "Why do I feel like the one who's over two hundred years old, and the two of you are the children?" He muttered to himself.

* * *

><p>Sebastian cursed and thought to himself that the next time his instincts told him something was wrong he would listen. More importantly he would make sure that Briar listened too.<p>

"Cursing won't help you princeling!" The woman cackled. Her eyes gleamed maniacally and Briar's breathing heightened as the daggers edge tightened on her throat.

Sebastian stared at the woman. At first she had resembled an old crone begging on the steps. Briar had stooped to place a few coins in the clay pot before her and the old woman had reached up as if to pat her on the shoulder in thanks. Before Sebastian, Vidan or Briar could react the gnarled hand had shot out to grasp Briar's long braids and twisted viciously, causing the girl to nearly loose her balance. By the time Sebastian had been close enough to prevent harm coming to his lady, the crone had risen, pulling Briar up with her by dint of the dagger's edge at the girls throat. She had backed up the theatre steps slowly putting some distance between herself and the two men.

"Do you have any notion of the death you just purchased for yourself?" He hissed softly, his hands twitching at his sides. He could kill her instantly with a dagger throwing it so that it embedded in her eye and pierced her brain but even if he killed her before she murdered Briar, her death throes might still kill the bard.

"Think you that I care about death?" The woman laughed again. "You murdered my entire family! Everything I ever had in my life is gone, my brother, my mother, my father and even my home is lost to me! Because of this bitch," she gave Briar a vicious shake, "I have nothing left to lose except a life I have no reason to value."

"Loren…" Briar whispered. "I never wanted any of you dead…I only wished to be safe." Her hands were wrapped around the woman's arm and wrist, trying to push the dagger away from her throat but the other female's strength was terrifying.

"Safe!" Loren shrieked. "You tease and try to seduce my brother and then when he finally succumbs to your wiles you reject him and cry rape! And then when he tries to seek justice you murder him! And when my parents want justice you have them humiliated in front of the entire court! I will see that Justice is served!" Her voice was shrill and more than a little mad.

Vidanalas watched helpless to intervene as the madwoman pulled Briar further up the steps. He like Sebastian continued to move forward, closing towards the woman, but for once he could read the prince's expression and it mirrored his own terrible fear that no matter what either of them did it would be too late to save Briar.

"Justice will be…" Loren's voice dwindled oddly and she appeared to be choking. Her grasp on Briar loosened and the dagger no longer pressed against the girls neck. At the slackening of her grip the bard pulled again on the woman's arm and the dagger fell away.

As Briar ran into Sebastian's arms Loren fell forward, as if Briar had been holding her upright. Embedded side by side in her back were two daggers. There was no way to tell which one had reached the madwoman's heart first.

Sebastian looked over Briar's shaking form with eyes unashamedly misty with relief and saw Faith stepping from the shadows outside the entrance to the theatre. He hugged Briar a bit closer, shaking a bit himself and said finally. "Thank you. But don't you think one dagger would have sufficed? Or don't you trust your aim as much as I thought?"

Faith frowned. "I only threw one boss." She walked closer to the body and crouched regarding the second dagger. She absently checked her hidden sheaths as if uncertain. "Yeah only one of them is mine."

"Then who threw the other one?" Vidanalas asked quietly from where he stood beside Sebastian. One hand rested on his daughters dark head, as if only by touching her could he believe she was yet living.

"I did." A very familiar voice said from inside the dark doorway. Vidanalas looked past Faith to see the youngest member of the Obarskyr clan. Asrai wrinkled her nose. "I never thought I'd ever have to use them, but I understand now why it was suggested by someone," She shot a look at Faith, "that I carry them." She moved forward and with an expression of disgust pulled her dagger from the woman's body and cleaned it on the skirt the dead woman wore. "I've…" Asrai paled a bit as she realized the full implications of her actions, "I've never killed anyone before."

"Nope, sorry babe, but it was definitely my dagger that killed her." Faith countered with dark cheer.

Asrai looked at her, at first in disbelief and then in utter indignation. "Excuse me?" she asked Faith not realizing that the watcher was deliberately baiting her, to snap her out of any regret she might feel over throwing the dagger. "As if!" Asrai snapped. "I'm sure I threw my dagger first. I don't even remember seeing you throw yours."

Faith looked at the girl and raised her eyebrows. "If you did see me, then I'd know it was time for me to retire. Nope," she said sticking her tongue out at Asrai, "I taught you everything you know so even if you did get lucky and strike the killing blow, it technically still belongs to me."

Sebastian knowing that the two of them would continue arguing indefinitely interrupted. "Asrai, the last time you and I spoke, you didn't want to have anything to do with throwing daggers."

Asrai grinned and kissed Faith's cheek with a mischievous tug at the Watcher's dark hair. "Someone convinced me it would be fun to learn."

Sebastian smiled slowly at Faith who shrugged and allowed her own slow smile to spread her lips. "What can I say?" She drawled. "I'm corrupting your baby sister." She leaned over to whisper something that only Asrai could hear. "In many ways aren't I babe?"

Asrai lost all thoughts of having potentially killed something as she flushed beat red her mind taking on the many implications that Faith's teasing might mean.

Briar turned in Sebastian's arms. "I'm all for that myself." She inserted her comment with a still shaking voice. "Can we go home now please?"

* * *

><p>Dragon smiled as he finished his closing to the letter. There was a slightly festive and grimly satisfied air about the palace these days. He and Briar as well as her family had yet to return to their separate apartments. His smile grew wider as he considered the fact that with a little luck soon they both might dwell there permanently. He believed Sebastian intended to propose to Briar soon. Dragon also hoped that soon he would be able to ask Lorelei to wed, he already possessed the ring.<p>

The door to the morning room opened and he looked up to see the Lady Katharine entering. "Good morning my lady." He rose and began gathering his parchment into a neat stack, and cleaning his pens in preparation for departure.

"What leaving already?" Katharine pouted slightly as she moved towards him, her hips twitching and her slow walk reminding him as always of a kittenish predator.

"I have business elsewhere." Dragon explained politely while continuing to gather his things.

"Oh, business, pooh!" She tossed her head slightly. "You've been greatly occupied of late, with all sorts of business. I've scarce seen you and I thought we were friends."

"Really?" Dragon threw a curious glance in her direction. "I hadn't thought the connection we had qualified for friendship." Though his rasping voice was mild in tone, he didn't seem overly interested in her reply.

Lorelei paused outside the door and took a deep breath restraining her urge to charge in and demand that Katharine leave Dragon alone. Folding her hands to keep from clenching them she waited.

"Well of course we're friends silly!" Katharine replied. She was very close to Dragon now, close enough to lay a hand on his arm caressingly. "I enjoy your company, and I thought you enjoyed mine?" Her voice was sweet and had a purring seductive quality to it, the innuendo beneath her words enhancing that.

Dragon looked down at her with hard eyes. "I do not call folk friend lightly Lady Katharine." He moved slightly away, enough that her body could not brush against his. "I had not thought our connection close enough to be defined as friendship."

Katharine smiled sweetly and gazed up at him with large soft eyes. "I would like to be closer to you," she said softly. "Don't you want to be closer to me? We could enjoy each other."

Dragon took another step away, breaking her contact with him and folded his arms forbiddingly. "No, I do not wish to become closer to you." He said bluntly. "I do not wish to be rude but I do not want you in my bed."

"Why not?" Katharine stamped her tiny foot. "I know you can't be sleeping with Princess Lorelei, the whole court talks of how she is still chaste, despite your avowed love for her."

"Because I am in love with her." Dragon said patiently, as if explaining something to a child. "You are a lovely woman, but I do not love you and so I do not wish to bed you."

"I don't understand." Katharine said in frustration. "How can you not want to sleep with me, if you're not sleeping with her?" Her mouth pursed thoughtfully. "Or are you sleeping with her and keeping it a secret?"

Dragon raised his eyes heavenward. This was such a child in so many ways, she wanted her way, and he didn't want to be unkind, even if she was being rude. "No, I am not sleeping with the princess." He said quietly.

"Why not?" Katharine asked again. "I mean, she loves you, and you love her. Why don't you just marry her?" She rolled her eyes. "That's part of why I was so interested in you, because you hadn't. I thought maybe we could enjoy each other."

Dragon groaned. "I don't know why I'm bothering to try and explain." He sighed. "Probably because you're not as terrible as you're acting and you're not screeching like a banshee when you don't get your way, like many of the court 'ladies'." Katharine stood tapping her foot. "I want Lorelei to be sure of herself." He said simply.

Katharine looked at him in disbelief. "You what?" Her expression was priceless.

"I love her." Dragon said gently. "I will love her for the rest of my life. It is very important that she be certain of her love for me. Before we marry. Before she becomes mine in every way, I want her to be sure I'm not just something she's decided she wants just for the sake of seeing if she can get it."

"I think you're insane." Katharine told him bluntly. "Any fool with half a brain could see she's tail over top in love with you."

Dragon smiled. "Yes." He inclined his head. "But first loves often fade or burn out quickly. I wish her to be certain that her love is for life. Because mine is." He looked up and stilled as he saw Lorelei in the doorway.

"Lady Katharine, would you mind excusing us?" Lorelei said softly. "I need to discuss something with Dragon."

Katharine nodded. "I think that's probably a good idea. Make sure everyone knows he's not on the market." She advised. "I'm not the only one who's interested." She threw a faintly pitying glance at Dragon and shrugged as she left the room.

"You know." Lorelei began and then looked at the door and shut it thoughtfully. She turned the key in the lock and placed it on the table between them. "I think that there is some basic misunderstanding here."

Dragon regarded her and a slow smile spread over his face. "And that is?"

"You seem to think that I'm unsure of a few things." Lorelei folded her arms and regarded him with narrowed eyes. "From what I just heard, you seem to think there's some doubt as to how long my love for you will last."

"I do not doubt your love for me." Dragon said quietly, his macabre voice gentle.

"Oh don't patronize me!" Lorelei snapped. "I heard you. You seem to think that this is just a calf love, or a silly girl's adoration, and it will die off eventually." She placed her hands on the table and leaned on them glaring up at him. "Let me make something perfectly clear. I'm an adult. I have been one for years, regardless of your much vaunted opinion. I am a woman, or would be, no thanks to you. I'm sure of very little in my life except two things. My family, and my love for you."

"I just didn't want you to change your mind after we were married." Dragon said quietly. "I wanted to give you plenty of time, so that if you started to think better of my courtship you would be able to say so."

"I'm not going to change my mind!" Lorelei burst out nearly hopping up and down in her agitation. "I love you. I'm going to love you forever! I can't help it. I don't always like it, especially when it first began I was so unhappy, but I don't have a choice. You are the other half of me."

"Are you certain?" Dragon frowned faintly. "I don't want you to marry me and then ten years down the road wonder what you have missed by not marrying a courtier."

"I don't want a courtier." Lorelei shot back. "I want you!" She folded her arms again. "And you're talking an awful lot about marriage for a man who hasn't even bothered to propose." She sniped at him.

"I was waiting on that for you to be certain as well." Dragon admitted. "Though I must admit to some preparation, in case I grew too impatient to make you mine."

"Well we both know you don't have to ask Daddy's permission since you asked to court me. Everyone is expecting that we marry eventually." Lorelei said huffily. "So unless you are preparing to bolt because you've decided against it, I don't see what preparations you needed to make."

"Actually." Dragon smiled slowly, his eyes lighting and his macabre voice tender. "There was one that took me a lot of time." He reached into his belt pouch and pulled something out, holding it in his hand. "Give me your hand." Lorelei extended her hand surprised to see that her fingers were trembling. "I had to choose something that had a chance of equaling your beauty." He carefully slipped the ring onto Lorelei's left ring finger. "Will you marry me, my Lorelei?" He asked in a gentle whisper.

Lorelei stared. Somehow Dragon had managed to choose a ring that suited her perfectly while proclaiming her his own. Set in white gold, a canary diamond cut in a marquis shone on her hand. The band of the ring was truly unique. Somehow Dragon had convinced the jeweler to carve the image of a beautiful woman sitting on a rock in a river. On the other side of the diamond a dragon stood on his hind legs wings curved behind him.

"Why the woman?" She asked wonderingly. "She's beautiful, but what does it mean?"

Dragon's smile widened. "You do not know then? Why I call you always, my siren?" He touched her hair, and his knuckles brushed over her cheek. "Your name is from an old elven legend. The Lorelei sat in the middle of the river and was so lovely, combing her hair, that no one could resist trying to reach her." He put his fingers beneath her chin and tilted her head so she looked up at him. "You have not given me an answer, my Lorelei." He reminded her gently.

"Yes." She breathed. "Oh yes, Dragon I'll marry you."

**TBC**


	19. Chapter 19

**Vows of Blood and Honor**

* * *

><p>Sebastian tugged at his tunic and regarded his hands with resigned astonishment. They were shaking, rather violently in fact. His breathing wasn't precisely steady either. A wry smile twisted his mouth. It wasn't truly a surprise that he was nervous, considering what he was about to do. Taking a deep steadying breath that wasn't really deep or steady he knocked on the door and heard the quiet invitation to enter.<p>

As he closed the door behind him the prince saw Merrila sitting quietly with Vidanalas. The two of them regarded him with slightly amused eyes, affectionate but definitely amused by his nervousness.

"Ma'am, Sir." He nodded politely moving forward to bow.

"Sebastian." Merrila smiled. "It is good to see you. You seem…agitated though. Are you well?"

"Quite well Ma'am." Sebastian ran a hand through his curls, mussing what he had only recently tamed. "As I hope are the two of you?" His hands hadn't stopped shaking yet he noticed.

"We are very well." Vidanalas stifled the urge to chuckle over the prince's nervousness and contented himself with a smile.

"I hope you'll forgive me for not playing the game of social banter any longer." Sebastian's gaze moved from one to the other. "But I seem to have lost my usual patience and calm."

"Then say what you have to say and be done with it." Vidanalas gently commanded.

Sebastian shot him a tortured look and took a deep breath. "I have been courting your daughter almost since I met her, later with Dragon's knowledge and permission, such as it was. I would like your permission to propose marriage to Rosaleen, and to marry her if she accepts me." The words came out in an undignified and very un-courtier-like rush.

Merrila smiled, her lips twitching with laughter and looked at Vidanalas. The elf manfully did not laugh at the young man's expression but nodded as if considering Sebastian's words. "Part of me will always wish I had known of my daughter before her heart was stolen by a young man, and the larger share of her attention given to him." He said finally.

Sebastian's face, for once without his customary mask, took on a look of dismay as he registered Vidan's words. "I don't want to apologize for the fact that she fell in love with me before she met you, when I am so thankful for her love." He said slowly. "But I know you are in her heart, and should she agree to marry me, you will always be welcome in our home." He offered as if hoping to change Vidan's mind in the elf's seeming decision of denial.

"Well-" The bladesinger began and Merrila laid a hand on his arm interrupting him.

"Stop tormenting the poor boy." She commanded wryly. Looking at Sebastian she smiled sweetly, all the gentle joy of spirit Briar possessed apparent in whom she had inherited it from. "You have our permission to marry our daughter. I wish you Selena's smile on your proposal to her."

Sebastian's face brightened with a grin. "Thank you Ma'am." He looked at Vidanalas who was now openly grinning. "Thank you Sir."

"Well?" Merrila asked. "What are you waiting for? Go and ask her now."

Sebastian bowed and replied obediently. "Yes Ma'am." He turned and hurried from the room.

Rounding a corner as he tried to think of the best way to give Briar the ring he had in his belt pouch he became aware that someone was behind him. Quickly he stepped to the side and silently pulled one of his daggers. As the person rounded the corner Sebastian stepped out and found himself nearly gutting his mentor.

More shaken than he could believe he stuttered out an apology and nearly winced at the look on Raden's face.

"Sebastian, I know you want my position, but I didn't think you'd take matters into your own hands as far as this." The spymaster commented dryly.

Sebastian groaned leaning against the wall and his eyes flickered over the man and woman who stood just behind Raden, obviously on their guard. "My apologies." He offered again. "I'm a bit on edge."

"Obviously, though I fail to see the reason since Loren is dead and the threat to your lady and family is dead with her." Raden said with some asperity.

Sebastian smiled somewhat nervously. "I just got through asking Briars parents for permission to pay my addresses." He explained. "I was on my way to propose when you came up behind me." He looked down at his hands, one of which still held the dagger, and noted they were trembling again. Sheathing the blade he looked up at his teacher again.

Raden grinned and clapped a hand on the prince's shoulder. "I wish you luck, though I don't think you'll need it." He offered. "You'd better go and accomplish that, your most difficult task to date, while I take these two to see your parents. I don't think the halls are quite safe until you're betrothed."

Sebastian grimaced and rolled his eyes humorously but nodded. "I haven't been this nervous since my first 'errand'." He commented. "I think Mother and Dad are in their morning room."

"Sebastian." Raden said in a surprisingly gentle tone. "Go. Just go and get it over with. You'll feel much better after and I won't risk a dagger in my throat when I go around a corner." Sebastian nodded and hurried off. "So love makes fools of us all." Raden remarked with a smile in his voice still. He looked sharply at the two Watchers behind him. "You didn't see or hear any of that. Its Sebastian's business, not ours."

The two nodded solemnly but each was curious to see the lady who could capture the prince's heart and rattle the exceptional assassin so greatly.

* * *

><p>Sebastian knocked on the door to the suite and then entered to find her walking towards him. "Sebastian!" She smiled happily and wrapped her arms around his neck. Kissing him hello she smiled. "I was just getting ready to come and see you, you didn't need to come and escort me."<p>

The young prince looked at her and his arms circled her waist, pulling her so that she was snug up against him. "I couldn't wait to see you." He said huskily. His mouth came down upon hers and Briar melted against him as she felt in his kiss how he needed her. Gentle hands, strong and firm, moved over her body and she parted her lips allowing her lover to deepen the kiss.

"Sebastian." She murmured as his lips brushed over her face. "My love…" slim white hands threaded through his golden curls and she felt him shuddering under her touch. "I need you." She whispered softly.

"And I you." He spoke against her skin and felt her shiver at his warm breath. Without thought he sought a place to lay her down and moved towards the bedroom. He gently eased her down to the quilted coverlet and lay beside her, staring in wonder at her loving expression. Her hands were moving on him, opening the laces of his tunic and shirt beneath it. Sebastian gasped as her fingers stroked his skin, pulling gently at his nipples and rousing his desire to an almost painful pitch. "What would you have me do?" He asked her softly, his fingers stroking gently over her form, pulling the thin robe she wore open and sliding under the shift beneath it.

"Make love to me." She whispered looking up at him. "Make me yours completely." Briar's hands drifted down to unlace his breeches. "Sebastian, I want to give my self to you." She pushed herself up so she could kiss him passionately, her mouth and tongue seducing his.

Sebastian thought he would explode immediately. "Oh my Rose." He murmured. "I will make you mine." He pulled of his clothing and threw it on the floor impatiently, and then gently helped her remove her robe and shift. As always he was stunned at the sight of her body, lying so trustingly beside his own. Her hands surrounding his member drew his attention and he eased down upon her and began to lovingly lavish pleasure on her body.

Briar cried out in pleasure as his hands massaged her breasts and held them to his mouth while he suckled on her nipples. Sometimes she thought she'd die of the pleasure his touch gave her. She could hear him whispering to her, erotic love words of how he loved to watch her, hear her, and feel her come to pleasure against him.

Sebastian dipped his head down further, parting her thighs and felt her hands slide into his hair as she arched herself up to him. "Oh yes, my Rose, my Briar, yes that's right…let me into your sweet sheath." He murmured against her skin as his tongue began delving into her. He felt her trembling under his mouth and lifted his head to suckle and lick her clit hearing her cries with a smile of delight on his lips.

He lifted her legs and draped them over his shoulders, loving how she felt as she tensed and began to climax. He could hear her protesting and lifted his head. "What is wrong my Rose?" He asked with a smile. "Am I not giving you pleasure?"

"Sebastian you know you are." She moaned. "But I want to come with you, not alone. I want you to come with me."

Sebastian felt his entire body heat with a wave of desire so strong he trembled with it. he rose up over her and her mouth fused to his own. He felt her warm moist nether lips pressing against his sword and ached to sheath himself within her.

Briar moaned in her throat and wrapped her arms around him and her legs drew up and cradled his hips against her own. She felt him sawing back and forth, his sword hot against her, in delicious friction over her clit, driving her to that wonderful explosion of ecstasy. "Sebastian!" She cried out into his mouth and felt him shudder and jerk against her and groan her name as his seed erupted out of him, warm over her mound and belly.

She felt him kissing her, lying on her and whispering warm wonderful words of praise for her passion and how she made him feel. Sebastian had ever made her feel just as desirable and lovely after they had both come as before. Tears trickled from beneath her closed eyelids and she felt his mouth taste them.

Sebastian looked at her in alarm and his voice went from adoring to concerned. "Briar, my love why do you weep?" He asked worriedly. "Did I hurt you? I try to be gentle with you but you do make me insane with desire. Where do you hurt?" Briar turned her face into his shoulder and her tears flowed even more. Sebastian grew even more worried and lifted himself off of her, hurrying for a cool damp cloth to bathe her body and examine her for any hurt.

"Stop it Sebastian." Briar sniffled finally. "Just leave me alone." She rose and took her robe from the floor wrapping it around her. Absently he wiped himself off and left the cloth by the wash basin. He watched as she pulled the robe around her and knew something was wrong but it might not be physical. Never before, not since their first night together, had Briar concealed her body from his gaze after lovemaking. Lazy and satiated she loved to lie with him in bed and let him gaze at her beautiful form. "Sebastian, why didn't you want me?"

"Briar how can you even say that when you've so much to prove otherwise?" Sebastian was astonished. Firmly he pulled her back to the bed and lay her down with him. "I've never known such pleasure as I share with you. I want you even now." He took her hand and pressed it to his groin, showing her the truth, that simply lying beside her, even after having just made love to her, he wanted her again.

"You didn't come inside me." She told him as if it were obvious. "I want to give myself to you. But you didn't want me."

Sebastian groaned and could have smacked himself. "That's because you're in love with an idiot." He said dryly. He rose and retrieved his belt pouch. Opening it he tugged her towards him and concealed something in his hand. "I wanted to do this more romantically." He told her. "But I notice that I go a little insane with passion when I'm with you. My Rose, will you marry me? Will you give yourself to me forever?"

Briar looked at him in astonishment and blinked. "That is why you wouldn't take me?" She asked incredulously. "Because you want to marry me? You said vows didn't matter."

"They don't." He told her. "But I want to do this right." The prince smiled whimsically. "We can be married soon. Until then…" he regarded her with a warm loving smile. "We have waited so long. To wait a bit longer will only make our first time together more special." He put his hand on her cheek and kissed her softly. "My loving Rose, will you marry me?"

Briar nodded slowly. "Oh yes, my Sebastian, my prince of night. I'll marry you."

He held out the ring and she shyly gave him her hand. With a smile that seemed even brighter in his eyes he slipped the delicate circle of platinum onto her finger. A single diamond tinted with pink shone from within a setting shaped like a rose.

* * *

><p>Dragon reluctantly lifted his head pulling his mouth from Lorelei's lips as the doorknob rattled demandingly. "Why am I always interrupted when I am so enjoying your kisses?" He asked darkly of his betrothed.<p>

Lorelei smiled. "It is the gods way of helping you keep your vows to yourself." She teased even as her lips trembled and she sighed, snuggling deeper into his embrace.

"The gods should mind their own affairs and leave my vows and the potential breaking of them to me." Dragon eyed the door and then looked down at her, unable to resist kissing her again.

His love made a delighted sound in her throat and he felt her hands clutching erotically in his long dark hair. The sweet hot sting that seeped through their bodies made them both ignore any other noise from the door as they indulged in the delightful pastime of playing with fire.

Sebastian opened the door silently, and grinned at Briar over his shoulder, drawing her forward so she could see why her brother hadn't answered the door. His bard gave him a mischievous look before snapping in a waspish tone. "Well!" She said sharply. "Is this the same man who refused to leave me alone with Sebastian after finding marks of passion on my body?" She couldn't keep her smile of amusement from her face. "Locking the door against interruptions?"

With a muttered curse Dragon broke the kiss and regarded his sister with irritation. "The occasion had better warrant interruption." He warned her with a dark look.

"I locked the door." Lorelei informed her brother and her friend. "I forgot that sometimes it doesn't do much good." She shot her brother an irritated look.

Sebastian's sharp gaze caught sight of a ring on his sister's finger. A slow smile spread his lips. "Forgive us for intruding on your celebration." He bowed slightly and his dark blue eyes were practically glowing with joy. "You were the first we wished to tell. You may wish us happy."

Dragon's dark unsmiling gaze underwent a dramatic change as a grin lit his face. "You may wish us the same felicitations." He stroked Lorelei's golden head and kissed her again. "Congratulations." He grinned at Sebastian. "Briar is your problem now."

"Well!" Briar snapped in mock offense. Then she giggled. "I most certainly am." She leaned against Sebastian and smiled happily at Dragon and Lorelei. "I am most happy for you."

Sebastian tugged Briar in front of him so he could wrap his arms around her waist and look over her shoulder at the other couple. "I suppose we ought to go and inform our respective parents." He noted. "Though the little bird who informed me of where you were may have already spread the word."

Dragon groaned. "Katharine." He rolled his eyes. "Then we may as well go and let your parents know." He said to Lorelei. "Since it will not be a secret for very long."

As the two of them rose from the sofa Briar gently disentangled Sebastian's hands from her waist. Moving forward she embraced the smaller girl and whispered. "Now I truly have a sister."

Lorelei smiled. "Does that mean I have to stop tormenting Sebastian?" She teased.

Briar dimpled at her. "As if you ever would." She retorted with a laugh. She reached for her brother and drew him down to kiss his cheek. "Be happy Brother." She murmured.

"I cannot be otherwise with my Lorelei." Dragon replied in his low rasp a joyous smile on his face.

* * *

><p>Amon and Sabine broke off their quiet discussion as the four absent young people entered the room. Merrila and Vidan were sitting companionably together, every now and then making a quiet comment. Andreas, Faith and Asrai had been listening quietly as the king and queen told them of how Serendal would be taken care of. Briar's uncles and mother had agreed to act as caretakers, not lords, until such a time as one of her cousins was in a position to inherit. Since none of her uncles sons were old enough it would be some time before Serendal had a true lord again.<p>

The group looked up as the door opened and Dragon assisted Lorelei through it and was followed by Sebastian and Briar.

The king and queen looked at each other and then at Merrila and Vidan. Briar's mother had been practically radiating silent joy and Vidan's dark green eyes were bright with mischief.

Sebastian looked at Briar's parents and folded his arms. "You know, if you two have been looking so smug this entire time then what we have to say will be rather anti-climatic." He drawled.

Sabine laughed and Amon squeezed her hand. "Why don't you just say it anyway," He suggested, "and let us be the judge?"

Briar curtsied her lips twitching with mirth and looked up at Sebastian. He smiled and slipped an arm around her waist. "My lady has done me the honor of accepting my suit." His formal words could not disguise the joy in his voice. "We are to be wed."

Asrai and Faith gave a quiet huzzah and Andreas smiled, genuinely glad that his brother had decided to join his life with the sweet girl. "Its about time." Faith added with a throaty chuckle.

"We had a bet, on how long it would take you to ask her." Asrai seconded. "You waited longer than either of us thought you would."

"What were the stakes?" Sebastian teased his blue eyes gleaming wickedly.

"None of your business." Asrai blushed and Faith tugged one of her curls affectionately.

Sabine's eyes had gone to her other daughters hand and then flicked over Dragon whose dark visage could not quite disguise his own joyful mood. Andreas looked at his twin as his siblings bantered back and forth and he rose quietly to stand by her side.

"My twin." He murmured lifting his eyebrows in a silent question. At her nod and teary smile the crown prince's smile widened and he swept his twin sister up in a hug, lifting her of the ground and kissing her cheek exuberantly. Setting her down he grabbed Dragon's hand firmly and pulled the larger man into a rough embrace thumping him on the back.

Asrai and Faith looked at the trio as did Merrila and Vidan. Amon simply smiled and regarded Dragon as if waiting. His wife was already a bit misty eyed knowing what would be said.

"Your Majesty. By the permission you granted me when you allowed me to court Princess Lorelei, I have proposed marriage to her." Dragon bowed soberly. "She has been more than obliging in accepting my proposal. Will you wish us joy?"

"Leelee?" Amon looked at his daughter. "Do you wish to marry this…rogue and adventurer?" He stifled a grin as his wife elbowed him.

"Oh Daddy!" Lorelei made a face at him. "Stop teasing. You know I wish to marry him with all my heart." Though her words were impatient her voice was soft and loving as she looked at the tall dark warrior.

"Well then certainly you may. You know I can't help but give you what you want." Amon teased and his happy grin spread his lips. He rose and all could see how much like his father Andreas was, as the king grasped Dragon's hand firmly and yanked him into a rib cracking hug. "Welcome to the family." He laughed. "And see that you don't spoil my daughter by granting her every wish." He couldn't keep a straight face at the end of that outrageous remark and burst out laughing again at the indignant and slightly accusing looks his family gave him.

Sabine's throaty laugh drifted over the air and she rose gracefully to take Briar's hands. "I am so very glad to welcome you to our family my dear." She said in her low honey voice. She kissed her son on the cheek and smiled. "I could not have chosen better for you myself. You need a lady your equal in every way. Dare I suggest you talk her into becoming your business partner as well?" her voice was less than a murmur as she spoke the last and with a mysterious smile drifted over to greet Dragon.

With a strength in her grip the warrior found almost surprising the queen took Dragon's hands. "Welcome to our family Nwyfan." She smiled. "I give you fair warning though, there are few secrets but for the ones the entire family shares." She stood on tiptoe to kiss his cheek and regarded her daughter with great pride in her eyes. "My very dear child, I am so happy for you." She wrapped her petite daughter in her arms and held her tightly. "It will be hard to let you go."

Amon had gone from Dragon immediately to Briar and found his son grinning at him like a lunatic. "Admit it Dad, you thought this day would never come." The prince drawled. He still hadn't removed his arm from Briar's waist as if afraid she would change her mind.

"I feared it would not." Amon said gently. His eyes like Sebastian's were a deep intense sapphire blue as he gazed from his son to Briar. "He has, like myself, ever compared every other lady to his mother and found them wanting." He took Briar's hand in both of his and conveyed it with great care to his lips, for a heartfelt kiss of welcome. Gently he enfolded the slim girl in his arms. "Finally my son has found a lady to cherish and respect." He murmured. "And I now have another daughter."

Briar looked up at the king and smiled. "Now I have two fathers, and as many brothers and sisters as I wanted when I was a little girl." She looked over at Asrai and Faith who were standing with Briar's parents, the princess chattering a mile a minute.

"Uh, Dad, can I have my future wife back now please?" Sebastian regarded Briar still being warmly hugged as if impatient to take her in his arms himself.

His father laughed and shook his head drawing Briar over to the couch to sit beside he and Sabine. Lorelei found that her mother had done the same thing, proudly bearing her new son away to sit beside her. The two siblings looked at their parents with identical expressions of annoyance and frustration, which started their baby sister giggling all over again.

Faith simply leaned back against the credenza and regarded the royal family as if they were putting on a play for her personal amusement. A slow smile tilted her lips as she saw a familiar gleam in Sebastian's eyes.

The prince with a slight shake of his head simply strode forward and scooped Briar up off the couch and sat down in her place settling her in his lap so that she could face his father and mother, resting her back against Sebastian's arm and the couch. From the look of contentment on Briar's face she didn't mind such cavalier treatment one bit.

Dragon held out his hand for Lorelei and his betrothed gracefully strolled forward to perch elegantly on the arm of the couch. Dragon, with a grin that told Lorelei he was up to no good, set his hands on her waist and slid her backwards until he could wrap an arm around her waist. The result of this was Lorelei's tiny feet resting on his legs and her hand on his shoulder, threaded through his hair.

Andreas watched these affectionate displays without expression finally smiling slightly as his twin looked at him. Taking a seat in a wing chair near his sister he asked curiously. "When do you think to marry?" He immediately regretted the question afterward for it brought forth a burst of conversation that conflicted in tone, volume and enthusiasm.

His mother winced sympathetically and Faith shook her head and put two fingers in her mouth to produce an ear splitting whistle. "Sweet gods, it's a wonder you can hear yourselves think!" She exclaimed. "Did anyone even answer the question?" The dark haired girl casually sprawled at the feet of Asrai's chair to listen.

Briar looked at Sebastian and found she was blushing and had she looked at Lorelei she would have seen the same effect on the princess. Her betrothed had whispered in a tone that sent delicious shivers down her spine. "As soon as possible."

Lorelei met Dragon's hot onyx gaze and smiled even through the heat in her cheeks as she recalled his murmured words. "Immediately if not sooner." He had told her and his eyes and wicked smile had left her no doubt as to the reason.

"A time can be best decided once we've looked over the schedule of commitments for the next year." Amon reminded them in a stern but gentle voice. "This will be two members of the royal family marrying, not simply our two children, and there are obligations that must be met to our allies."

"And families as well." Sabine said quietly. "Briar you know that your family will be working very hard with Serendal, but magical transportation can be arranged so that they need not spend months away." She looked at Merrila. "It is every mother's prerogative to plan her daughters wedding. I hope you will consider our services at your disposal."

Merrila blushed faintly and smiled. "Lady, you are very kind, and most gracious in your offer." She looked at her daughter. "You have treated my child like a daughter, from the time you met according to her words. Since her uncles and I do have obligations to be met, I would be honored if you would plan my daughters wedding with your own." She leaned forward to touch Briar's hand. "My dear, you know I will not be far, if you need me. Will you mind terribly if I cannot be here with you?"

Briar smiled, understanding in her eyes. "Oh Mother, do you think I would ask you to undertake planning a wedding, along with trying to keep Serendal running properly, also knowing how much you truly dislike social events?" Her smile was wry and infectious and her mother grinned back. "Lorelei and her mother,"

"Sabine." That lady interrupted firmly. "Please, Briar, my name is Sabine."

"Sabine," Briar blushed. "and I will enjoy planning the weddings and I will look forward to having you with me when I marry and you may relax and enjoy the occasion." Her beautiful face was laughing and sweet as she teased Merrila and Vidan smiled as he watched the two of them together.

"If I may, I will be pleased to act as a go between for the two of you." He offered impulsively. "I know a father has little to do with the planning of such events, but I hope you will allow me to do what little I am able?"

"Father I would be glad to have your help." Briar looked at him in pleased surprise. "But you must be here, if you are to give me away."

Vidan blinked and blinked again and finally looked down to take a deep breath and in an emotion roughened voice said. "I would be honored daughter."

Sabine looked at Dragon with a gleam in her eyes and in her quiet way inquired. "Dragon, is there anyone in particular you will wish us to invite?"

Dragon smiled ruefully and looked at Lorelei. "I truly had intended to tell you before your entire family knew." He said quietly. "I hadn't counted on your mother and her annoying habit of knowing everything that goes on in the palace. If you like we could be private and I will tell you, and you will know of this before your family."

Lorelei shook her head at him and smiled. "I know." She stroked his hair lovingly. "Mother tends to spring such things upon us, she likes to catch us unprepared." She shot an exasperated look at her mother.

Dragon sighed and finally answered Sabine's question. "I cannot get married and not at least invite my mother and her family." He said. "Mother will definitely come, I don't know about the rest of the House." The way he said the last word caused Vidan's eyebrows to rise curiously.

"Dragon…" Briar said slowly. "I thought your mother was dead?"

"No," Dragon shook his head with a slow smile as he thought of that lady. "I said Mother was gone. When I set off on my own she joined her family on Evermeet." He explained. "She and I write regularly, so she knows of you and our life together, and of you my love." He looked up at Lorelei.

"You said House." Vidan asked curiously. "Which House does your mother belong to?" He regarded the warrior mage with mild interest, expecting the man to name a minor noble house or simply a respected elven name.

"My mother belongs to House Silverspear." Dragon said softly.

Briar blinked wondering why in the world she recognized that name and then took a strangled breath of air as she made the connection. Looking around she saw that the rest of the family but for Merrila and Faith hadn't taken but a moment to recognize that name.

"Silverspear…" Sabine murmured thoughtfully. "His Majesty's father had a dear friend by that name did he not?"

Dragon nodded. "Myronthilar." He supplied the name. "My mother and I are of a minor branch." He smiled. "But she missed her family and so she returned to them when she was assured I was well here."

"Morgana will be interested to hear of this." Amon smiled at his wife and she nodded her agreement.

"Andreas." Dragon's macabre voice was an affectionate rasp. "I had hoped to ask you"

"If you would be my best man." Sebastian finished the sentence. He grinned at Dragon.

"To you both?" Andreas smiled. "I would be glad to."

"The question of when arises once again." Briar sighed. "For we must have Morgana here, and I wish to be at my brother's wedding and he will wish to be at mine. But I think that none of us wishes to wait long to wed, but if we have the weddings a week apart, it will be difficult to…" she blushed as her thoughts led her further than her modesty would allow her to speak.

Sebastian kissed her gently and his fingers stroked her flaming cheeks. "I know what you mean." He said quietly. "How does the first couple to wed have their wedding journey, only to return not long later in order to attend the second wedding?"

"You could always get married together." Merrila suggested. When the rest of them looked at her in surprise she smiled. "At Serendal, before you were born Briar, I had two friends who were twins. They each were courted and betrothed, and were left with the same problem of when to have their weddings. They decided they were have a double ceremony. That way they could be together and separate for their bride journey."

Vidan looked at Briar and Dragon thoughtfully. "And since we have brother and sister marrying sister and brother, it would suit very well." He smiled. "And you would have only one wedding to plan, though you would have to agree on many things, which I'm told can be difficult."

Briar grinned. "Lorelei, will you share your wedding with me?" She asked mischievously.

"I don't know…" Lorelei teased. "I hate to share." She laughed and nodded. "Yes. You and I both have good taste, we shouldn't have to much of a problem agreeing." She made a face. "And we have Mom to keep us from killing each other."

"In case we don't!" Briar finished her sentence and her laughter mingled with Lorelei's.

"In that case…" Sebastian whispered something in Briar's ear and she nodded eagerly. Looking at Lorelei she mouthed the words and watched the other girls eyes widen appreciatively. Briar nodded at her and indicated that she should be the one to say something.

"Asrai?" Lorelei drawled in her bitchiest tone. "Are you going to be terribly busy rehearsing or anything for a while?"

"Not really, I don't think." Asrai said glumly. "Tredorian is working on another play but he says it won't be ready for a while, and it doesn't have any female parts." Part of her wistfully wondered if she would be asked to be a bridesmaid perhaps.

"Then you'll have plenty of time." Briar said softly and watched the girl look up curiously.

"Time for what?" She blinked and looked at her older sister.

"Well to be our maid of honor of course!" Lorelei told her as if it were obvious and her lips widened into a smile.

Asrai blinked again and looked at Briar and her sister and then nearly squeaked in surprise. "Thank you thank you!" She grinned at Faith who rolled her eyes and smiled affectionately at her. Then she seemed to deflate. "But what about Morgana?" She asked anxiously. "Shouldn't you ask her?"

Lorelei looked at her mother uncertainly and Sabine smiled. "Your father and I expect Morgana to be taking care of a very important guest. I'm certain that she'd love to be a bridesmaid, but to be a witness of the ceremony demands a bit more time than she will have available to her.

Briar nudged Sebastian and nodded at Faith. Sebastian grinned and he whispered. "Oh you are as bad as I." He stroked her hair. "I love it." He raised his voice and addressed the Watcher. "Oh, Faith you don't need to worry about keeping an eye on Asrai during the ceremony." He assured her.

Faith regarded him with casual unconcern and frowned slightly. She didn't like where this was leading. It meant wearing a dress she was sure of it. The watcher stifled a groan as his next words confirmed her suspicion.

"Briar would like you to be one of the bridesmaids." Sebastian informed the dark haired girl gleefully.

"You'll be in good company." Briar smiled. "I want to ask Lady Shen too."

Lorelei grinned. "Good." She tilted her head. "Then Grandfather can escort Grandmother." She rolled her eyes. "Only in this family would this sentence be spoken." She looked up at Dragon. "Are you sure you want to join the insane Obarskyr clan?"

Dragon looked up at her and grinned. "Just try and stop me."

Andreas smiled at the fervent tone in his friends voice and watched his younger brother whispering something to Briar that made that young lady's cheeks tint a darker pink. Something sad and faintly envious spiraled inside him and he repressed a sigh of longing. Determinedly he kept his smile fixed firmly across his face as he watched his family bantering and planning the pleasurable details of the upcoming weddings.

In the afternoon light, as the sun slanted through the windows, the entire family seemed bathed in the sunlight, but for one. He sat, slightly apart from the rest of the laughing family, his ash-blond hair seeming even darker, and his hazel eyes nearly black with repressed emotions. As the sun began to slip under the horizon the shadows crept up his chair, as if old ghosts were claiming him, unbeknownst to any.

Fin

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><p><em>Author's Note: So this is it folks. I've got more stories that I'll work on getting formatted correctly and uploaded but this is it for today. I hope you're enjoying these as they are very near and dear to my heart.<em>


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